The Floating Crystal of Eoam
by brightnightwriter
Summary: The Crystal of Eoam forces foes Murtagh and Eragon to realize just how little they know about wild magic, and thrusts upon them a helpless knew rider. Galbatorix's evil plans continue to unravel, and Murtagh may have just found an opening to change his true name. But if they make it out of this alive, they'll realize the Crystal may not be done with them just yet. Arya/E/OC &M/OC
1. Chapter 1: Arrival and Discovery

**Hi everyone! I'm back and have decided to revamp this story! I'm hoping to get further with this story than I did before. To anyone revisiting this story, thank you for sticking with it. To new comers, I swear it get's better! **

**IMPORTANT: every chapter that has been edited and is up to date will be labeled as follows: !REVAMPED!**

**I wouldn't suggest reading further than that, unless you really want to. **

**Enjoy!**

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**Chapter 1: Arrival and Discovery **

The first thing Chloe Conti noticed when she stepped out of her ancient, faded blue Chevy truck was that the sky above her family's old house was considerably clearer than it had been when she was driving home. From a few miles away she could have sworn she'd seen the greying of storm clouds, but now not a single cloud was in sight. The birds were chirping, and, despite the fact that she'd had to run out on her band's practice early to come babysit her little sister and her so-called friend had bailed, the weather was giving every indication that today was going to be a fabulous day.

Which was why Chloe found herself frowning as she stared at her house in suspicion.

Nothing seemed particularly wrong; the door was still the same chipped red it had always been, and the cracked white wood paneling was as "charming" as ever as her mother liked to call it. The green trees that framed the house were still standing. They had miraculously made it through winter and the spring showers with hardly any water or snow leaking in through the sketchy roof. Her mother had recently been appointed manager at the local green grocers up the road, a position Chloe knew should have been hers a long time ago. And it would have, if the store owner didn't prefer to appoint flaky, young, pretty twenty-somethings to the position. And Chloe, well Chloe wasn't doing too bad; she'd passed all her classes with C's and B's, and had even managed to wrangle and A out of her physical education class, being one of the only to actually attend. Her mother might not have been as proud about the grades, but Chloe didn't mind. This time next year she'd be entering her second semester at her dream dance academy if all went well. Everything was going well, which to Chloe was alarming. Nothing good ever lasted: she was of the philosophy that all good things must come to an end, which she figured after the last couple of weeks the end was due any day now.

So with trepidation, Chloe approached the house, wearily unlocking the door and stepping in.

"Ronnie, I'm home," she called as she stepped inside, brushing her feet against the welcome mat. From what she could see from the parlor, everything seemed in place, all except-

"Ronnie?" she called again, this time with a hint of panic. Her little sister never failed to come greet her at the door, much less make her self known in all of her six year old adorableness. She was late, and Ronnie hated tardiness with the strongest possible affinity a child could afford, and Chloe knew she wouldn't miss the chance to berate her as soon as she stepped through the door.

_So where is that little girl?_ Taking the stairs two at a time, Chloe scoured the landing for her little sister, checking first her room, then her own, the bathroom, and finally her mother's. Nothing. Going back into her room, she flicked the sleeping dog on her bed, giving him an annoyed glare.

"Where's Ronnie, Padfoot? You know I trust you more than Kaitlin to watch Ronnie," she admonished. The large black dog whined as he shook himself, and Chloe shook her head as she stared down at him. He reached up to lick her face once before bounding off her bed, skating across the floorboard landing and then down the stairs. Just as she realized where her dog was going, Chloe frowned, about to follow when a familiar giggle of a laugh floated in through her bedroom window. With a relieved sigh, Chloe trotted down the stairs and into the kitchen. Sure enough, the backyard door was open. Suddenly she heard Padfoot's angry barking, and she quickened her pace.

"Veronica you _know _you're not allowed outside alone when mom-Who the hell are you two?!" Chloe exclaimed as she stepped into the yard. Because just beyond where her little sister was sitting cross legged on the ground were two boys Chloe placed around her age if not a little older.

"Chloe!" Ronnie turned to her older sister admonishingly. "You owe me a dollar for the swear jar!" she said, causing Chloe to roll her eyes.

"Sure, kid, just get inside the house, okay?" Chloe said, eyeing the two trespassers. The younger of the two, the one with golden brown curls, straightened up from his crouching position, looking at her with interest. For a moment Chloe thought he was checking her out, but then noticed that he seemed more interested in what she was wearing. _Is he...is he _judging_ my outfit? _She wondered. Like he was one to talk. He was wearing what looked like a velour shirt and riding pants and tall leather riding boots. His friend with the chin length black hair wasn't much better off. Blinking a few times to clear her mind, she flashed them a sarcastic smile.

"Hi there. Mind telling me why two creepy guys are in my yard?" Chloe asked as she held out a hand to Ronnie. Ronnie stood and ran up to her, grabbing onto her hand and swinging it happily in between them.

"Those are my friends," Ronnie said before either boy could speak. "That's Eragon and that's Murtagh," she explained as she pointed. "They're magic." Chloe raised her eyebrows at her younger sister, running her eyes over her gold curls and then meeting her blue eyes.

"It's a good thing you're cute," She told her, before turning back to their unwelcome visitors.

"Thanks for stopping by, but I'd really appreciate it if you two would just move along, otherwise I will sic my dog on you. He can be mean to strangers, just so you know," Chloe said, nodding towards Padfoot. He was standing at her side, eyeing the two boys in a way that made her feel very safe if their intentions here anything less than benign.

"Please, miss," said the younger of the two, Eragon. He had an accent Chloe couldn't place, not quite English, but not anything she had ever heard before either. "We're lost. Quite frankly we don't even know what land we're in, nor how we came about it," he said, and the other began to roll his eyes.

"You, Eragon, are a fool if you don't think it was the Crystal of Eoam that transported us here," he said none too kindly, causing Eragon to scowl as he turned to face him.

"I'm the fool? You are the reason we're in this mess, Murtagh. If you'd only-"

"If I'd only what? If I had only gone against _his_ orders? You have no idea what-"

"Oi!" Chloe called out. "Look, I don't know what this is about, or why it's happening here of all places. This is 2010, and I think you can find direction back to Arthurian times via the bar up the street, though you will definitely be carded," she said, eying Eragon in particular as she spoke.

"Where is your leader?" Murtagh asked impatiently.

"My leader-oh, I don't know, the White House?" She said. Both Eragon and Murtagh's eyes landed on the greying house behind her, and both made for it. Chloe quickly threw her hands up to stop them.

"Not that one you dumb m-" she broke off at a stern look from Ronnie. "My uh, _leader_, is very far away and very unavailable to you." she said.

"Very well, then which way to the elves?" Eragon asked. His patience also seemed to be wearing thin, and every time he looked to his friend his eyes would harden. _Okay, so maybe not his friend,_ thought Chloe.

"The elves." Chloe repeated.

"Yes, the elves, unless of course the dwarves are closer," he said, and Chloe nodded slowly.

"For the elves I'd try the nearest Hogwarts kitchen, and as for the dwarves I don't think they actually like that, and that the politically correct terms is-wait a minute, I know exactly what's going on here," Chloe said with a groan. Eragon and Murtagh exchanged glances.

"You do?" Murtagh asked. "Because it is imperative that we get home," he said.

"You're stoners from the medieval club. I've never seen you around school before, granted I tend to avoid the dungeons-and-dragons types," she admitted. Both boy's eyes sparked with interest.

"Yes!" they both exclaimed at the same time, sparing a moment onto to glare at each other before rushing forward.

"We are not stone workers, but you know of the dragons?" Eragon asked excitedly, and, while Murtagh's next words were swallowed up by the roar of my mom's truck.

"That sounded a lot like-"

"Like the sound of a woman coming home who will definitely be kicking your a-butts, yeah." Chloe said, glad that her mother was home early from work.

"Dragon. At least a very small one-" Eragon broke off suddenly, looking at her suspiciously.

"What?" Chloe asked just as he snatched her hand into his own and twisted it, palm facing up.

"Oi! Let go!" she exclaimed, and Eragon quickly complied.

"She's not a rider," he said to Murtagh, who nodded.

"She is, however, right here. Look, really, honestly, you should just leave. My mom will call the cops on you, and as much as your little club of stupid fantasy-land stuff annoys me, I do appreciate the stoners, because they're really the only ones who come to my bands' gigs, so..." Again they looked confused, and Chloe wondered just what they'd smoked to become this baked, and if maybe they'd share because she wasn't sure she could handle them in her right state of mind.

"Chloe? Ronnie?" she heard her mom's voice call from the house, and glanced over her shoulder towards the kitchen.

"Yeah, out here, mom. There's a bit of a situation..." Chloe called. Her mother emerged a few minutes later, fixing her ponytail as she did. She stopped dead at the site of the two boys, dropping the mug in her hand in what was clearly shock. Chloe saw that her hands were shaking.

"Mom?"

"Miss are you all right?" Eragon asked in concern, and Ronnie looked at their mother questioningly.

"That accent..." Viviana finally said. She took a step closer, and for a second Chloe thought she saw tears in her eyes. "A-are you two from A-Alagaësia?" she whispered. Chloe's heart skipped a beat, then-

"Ha, ha, ha, very funny mom. You're pranking me back from last April Fool's. This was-hilarious, if not interesting. I have to say that I did not see this coming, mostly because you don't prank or joke much..." Chloe's awkward laughter died soon as she realized that she was the only one laughing. Eragon and Murtagh, however, seemed thrilled to see her mother.

"Yes, miss. I am Eragon Shadeslayer, and this is Murtagh Morzanson," Eragon said quickly. Murtagh scowled, lifting his chin defiantly, though Chloe couldn't blame him. That was a pretty stupid last name.

"...know how we came to be here?" Eragon was saying. Viviana nodded gravely.

"I do, yes. These are my daughters, Chloe and Veronica. Please, both of you, come inside. I know from experience you two will be very hungry," she said, gesturing for them to follow her into the house. Ronnie quickly joined her at her side, and Chloe rushed to do the same.

"What is going on, mom?" Chloe asked. "This is getting weird. Fast. Do you know these guys?" Glancing over her shoulder she saw that both Eragon and Murtagh were following them into the house, and she noticed that the tension between them seemed to have grown.

"I'll explain once we're inside with some tea and hot chocolate. The suns out but it is unnaturally cold, wouldn't you say?" Viviana said, and Chloe was about to argue when she realized that her mom was right. It was significantly colder here in the backyard than it had been out front. She whistled for Padfoot to come into the kitchen with them, and he quickly followed in after them.

As Viviana busied herself with the tea kettle and hot chocolate for Ronnie, Chloe studied her mother. She'd never seen her like this. Viviana was always collected, liked to be in charge and was careful, controlled in her ways. And so Chloe wasn't sure how to feel when she saw her mother repeatedly pull out unneeded utensils, putting them away, only to pull them out again; when she spilled milk and sugar and sent another mug flying to the ground that would have shattered had Murtagh not caught it with uncanny agility. Ronnie was seated at the wooden table with Eragon, animatedly telling him the story of her picture book. He seemed oddly intrigued and fascinated, and would often pause to ask her questions about mundane things like 'cell phone' and 'television', garnering rather inaccurate yet hilarious responses from an increasingly frustrated Ronnie as he pressed for answers on how 'such devices' worked. Murtagh was quiet, and Chloe had the feeling he was evaluating them all, sizing them up as well as his surroundings. When her eyes met his dark ones she quickly looked away from his haughty expression.

The tea kettle began whistling, and soon Viviana was pouring them all a cup of chamomile tea. She sat at the head of the table, gesturing for Chloe and Murtagh to join her. Murtagh remained where he stood by the sink, occasionally eyeing the silver appliances, while Chloe took the seat opposite her mother. Padfoot rested his head in her lap as he sat on the ground next to her. Chloe absently ran her fingers through his black hair.

"Eighteen years ago, I myself was eighteen. I was young and living in this very house by myself. My father had left my mother before I was even born, and just a month before I turned eighteen my mother died from cancer. I was sad and alone and longed for someone to love me. But I was also untrustworthy of every man I met, as I always had been. What was to stop them from being like my father, from leaving?"

"I do not mean to offend, but is this at all relevant to mine and Eragon's...situation?" Murtagh inquired. Eragon looked at hid disapprovingly, though he seemed to await an answer to the question as well. Viviana smiled wryly.

"I promise this has everything to do with your predicament." she said. Satisfied, at least for now, Murtagh nodded for her to continue. Chloe looked unconvinced, wondering just when this twisted joke of her mother's would end. Or maybe she would just wake up from this stupid dream. Either or was fine by her.

"As I said, I longed for a man, a man perfect for me. And one day I met him where he appeared in my yard, just where you two were standing," she said, looking to Eragon and Murtagh. "I remember finding him handsome, if different. He was wearing the oddest of things, a tunic and leather leggings. He looked as though he had stepped out of the storied my mother used to read to me as a child. Stranger still was the tale he told me of a land where he came from, a land called Alagaësia." She paused, a smile tugging at her lips.

"His name was Galatyn, and he fascinated me with his words and tales of his land, and soon we fell in love. We were married-a small ceremony-and then I fell pregnant with our first child. It was just after our second child was born that he was pulled back to his true home by the magic that had brought him here," her eyes turned sad, and she turned her focus to the window facing the yard.

Chloe stared at her mother unblinkingly, stunned. She could feel tears pricking at eyes and her throat tightened, and liquid fury run through her veins. She was barely twelve when her father had died, and they rarely talked about him. Hell, they hadn't talked about him in years, and her mother thought it was okay to make him a part of this sick joke?

"This isn't funny, mom," Chloe said coldly. Viviana sighed, reaching out for her daughter's hand. Chloe slipped it off the table.

"You have to understand why I never told you the truth-" she began, and Chloe stood up so fast that Padfoot yelped and her chair knocked to the ground.

"The truth? Stop this freaking joke right now because I can't handle it! Just stop!" she yelled. She almost regretted raising her voice as she saw Ronnie cringe, but she couldn't let it go, not now.

"Please, Chloe, just listen. This isn't a joke or a farce. This is real and it's exactly why I never told you. When you were born your father told you stories, you remember? But we agreed that we wouldn't tell you anything more than that-stories, so that you could have a normal life. After your father was sent back...I couldn't tell you the truth, you were too old, and already too stubborn. But now, now you can't look past the proof, the living, breathing proof right in front of you!" Viviana exclaimed, pointing to Eragon and Murtagh.

"Uh huh, so tell me, _mom_, did dad ride around a dragon two, or is that only a privilege these two get?" Chloe snapped, Viviana went to answer and then looked to their guests, eyes widening.

"Dragons...dragons have returned to Alagaësia? Impossible-or at least, that is what Galatyn always said. He believed more than most, and hoped fewer than still he used to say, but... you're dragon riders." She breathed, awe taking over.

"We are. Which is why we must return to Alagaësia. In leaving my dragon, Saphira, behind I have left a piece of myself behind. Do you know of the Crystal of Eoam?" Eragon asked. Viviana nodded.

"Yes, Galatyn spoke of it. He was exploring it's isle when he came across it. He believed it was the magic of the crystal that sent him here." She said, and Chloe raised an eyebrow. Her mother had always talked...funny, to say the least, but she was slowly creeping towards Shakespearian, like these two stoners.

"It must have been. Eragon and I were...arguing beneath it when we found ourselves transported here," Murtagh murmured, pensive. "What fountain of magic is there in this land that could match it's power to send us back? Perhaps even aided by a spell by you and I, Eragon. I am willing to work even with you if it will get me back to Thorn," Murtagh said, and then paused, staring at Eragon as though he'd never quite seen him before.

"Eragon you...your face!" he exclaimed. "Your face and your ears!" Eragon reached up to touch the tips of his ears, and suddenly a look of horror crossed his face as he reached them. He quickly grabbed the kettle, using it's metal surface as a mirror.

"My ears! They're rounded again, and my eyes-"

"Ha! No longer are you a princeling, eh, Eragon?" Murtagh mocked. Eragon rounded on him angrily.

"This is all your fault! Saphira needs me, not to mention the Varden!"

"You seem to forget that I am under the control of Galbatorix!" Murtagh shouted back. "And I'll have you know that I don't see Thorn anywhere near here either!" Murtagh said, delivering a harsh shove to Eragon's shoulders. Eragon looked murderous, and he went to shove back when Viviana quickly stood.

"Enough! You are both guests in my home and I won't tolerate you boys fighting!" Viviana exclaimed. "Now I do believe it is your turn to explain," she said.

With little encouraging, Eragon launched into a tale so far-fetched, so fantastical and ludicrous Chloe found herself believing it. Murtagh sat quietly in his corner, occasionally adding in a detail or contesting the accuracy of an event Eragon mentioned ("I had you beat in that duel and you know it!", and even "Not evil, I'd like to remind everyone once again, that I am beneath the control of a tyrant." It took a lot of explaining, especially since Chloe's mind insisted that elves where house elves, not the attractive beauties that Eragon spoke so highly of. ("Yeah, I think I watched Lord of the Rings once. I will go ahead and agree that Orlando Bloom can pull off the elf thing.")

"So you two are brothers-

"Half. Half brothers," Eragon interrupted.

"-and the haughty one is the evil, sorry, I mean _misunderstood_ one. And you all ride around on dragons slashing at each other with magical, colorful swords. Sounds cool, I guess, in theory, but do you have any proof?" Chloe asked. By now the sun had set and darkness had settled, and Ronnie had even ventured upstairs and returned with a plethora of coloring books and crayons and markers and colored pencils. Chloe pulled her eyes away from the happily ignorant six year old and to the boys, as well as her mother.

"Proof? We've established your world lacks magic. Even our gedwey ignasias are gone," Eragon said.

"I fail to see why we must prove ourselves to you. All we need is to return home," Murtagh said. Chloe got the distinct impression that Murtagh didn't like her, which was fine with her. He didn't seem to like much of anything, or anyone.

"It's getting late. I'll fix us dinner, and the girls can show you to the two guest bedrooms you can stay in. You'll have to excuse the clutter in them, I'm afraid." Viviana said. Eragon assured her that any accommodations would be appreciated, and that he and Murtagh were truly grateful. Murtagh only grunted in what Chloe assumed was agreement.

Robotically, Chloe led the boys upstairs. She stopped in the center of the landing, gingerly turning to face the two boys. "Right, so that's my mom's room, Ronnie's room, guest bedroom, my room, and the other guest room,"

"Can Eragon stay in the room next to mine?" Ronnie interrupted. Chloe turned to look at her. She was holding Eragon by the hand, and Eragon looked amused by the attention, and even a little unsure of what to do with it.

"If Eragon doesn't mind," Chloe said. "But I think he's a little too old for you, Ronnie." Eragon's amused smile slid right off his face, and he looked down at Ronnie in surprise. He obviously hadn't realized the root of the little girl's affections.

"That's why I have birthdays every year. When I'm old enough I can marry Eragon." Ronnie said in a matter-of-fact tone, causing Murtagh to snort. Eragon shot him a glare, and Murtagh attempted to pass his laughter off as a coughing fit. Chloe wasn't doing much better, but then sobered as she remembered the situation she was in, a situation where she suddenly the black and white lines between real and imaginary were blurring into a murky grey. Because none of this could possibly be real, just as she knew her mother would never play a joke on her this cruel, nor this elaborate. Of that she felt she was sure. But of everything else? Of that she was as far from sure as she was from the sun and moon.

Chloe watched absently as Ronnie towed Eragon away to her room to show him her toys, and realized that her mother was downstairs alone at the moment. If she was going to talk to her ever, it would be now.

"Your room is there on the right, if you want to get settled in," Chloe muttered she as left Murtagh alone on the landing, taking the stairs down two at a time.

Viviana was once again bustling around the kitchen, though this time her shaking hands had relaxed as she began chopping carrots and onions for stew.

"I'll only ask once, and I want the truth. Is this, everything you've told me today, true?" Chloe asked. Viviana paused her chopping, placing the knife down on the scarred cutting board.

"Yes, Chloe, and I am so sorry that this is how you had to find this out. But I was afraid that if you knew the truth you'd never move on, that you'd be like me, trapped." Viviana said.

"Trapped?" Chloe asked, and Viviana sighed.

"You have to understand, Chloe. Galatyn...Gale, as he was known here, was an adventurer where he was from. And when her came here, that didn't change. He was curious about our world, and he proposed we explored it together. I had wanted to leave anyway, sell the house and travel somewhere knew. But then you came, and you were our precious gift. So we stayed. And then Veronica was born, and we thought that once she was older we would sell the house and move. But when your father, when he was sent back, I couldn't ever leave. I couldn't, not hoping against hope that one day he would come back. I didn't want to do that to you, I didn't want you to jump at every rustle in the trees, at every whistle in the wind thinking that it might have been him...So yes, its's real. Sometimes I think it was all a dream, but how can I, when I have the proof of it staring back at me in the form of my two beautiful daughters?" she smiled sadly, gently touching Chloe's cheek before clearing her throat and returning to her cooking.

"Would you mind getting Ronnie to help you set the table please, Chloe?"

ERAGON

"Bye Eragon," Ronnie said sadly, hugging Eragon. Eragon patted her on the back awkwardly, never having much experience with small children before. Behind her, Chloe made an impatient sound.

"You'll see him again in like, five minutes!" Chloe exclaimed indignantly. Ronnie pulled away, head slumped in defeat as she followed after her older sister. Chloe expression shifted to one of guilt, and she scooped Ronnie up into her arms, carrying her down the stairs as she placed a kiss on her cheek.

"It would seem that someone has captured the heart of a rather young maiden, eh? It seems they're either too young or too old for you!" Eragon turned around to find Murtagh watching him from the doorway. His dark eyes slid over the room's pink walls and other-worldly collection of toys and objects he couldn't understand the purpose of before finding Eragon's. Eragon's gaze did not waver against that of his half-brother's, not until he remembered what lied on the small table at his feet. He subtly stepped in front of the table, blocking Murtagh's view of it.

"I propose a truce, Murtagh, until we return to Alagaësia. Viviana is kind to offer us hospitality, but it is clear that she can do little more. If we wish to return home it will be up to us, and I fear any spell that could activate the Crystal will require more than simply one of us for energy," Eragon said. Murtagh considered him for a minute.

"The last time I agreed to anything you said, I ended up in the prison of the Varden in a dwarf mountain," he said evenly.

"Aye," Eragon agreed, stepping forward until he was staring right into his eyes. "And you were freer in the Varden's dungeon than you are in Galbatorix's command." Murtagh's eyes flashed.

"Fine. But the minute we are in Alagaësia you are nothing to me, _brother_." Turning around, Murtagh left the room, storming downstairs as Viviana announced that dinner was ready. As soon as Murtagh's footsteps faded, Eragon turned to the small desk, kneeling down next to it and picking up the drawings. The drawings were on an unfamiliar startlingly white paper, drawn with some form of colorful wax. Choosing the ones that sparked his interest, Eragon folded them and placed them into the breast of his vest pocket, hidden from sight. With that, he joined the people downstairs.

As he walked down the stairs, he wished for more than home, he wished for Saphira and the comfort of her mind brushing his. Outside, the winds stirred, as though mirroring his distress.

MURTAGH

This house may have been filled with strange objects and irritating people, namely Eragon, but this bed he was lying in was heaven. He'd never slept in something so firmly comfortable, not even in the palace. He fell asleep smirking, convinced that at least, miserable as he was, he was sleeping in a bed more comfortable than the Black King's. He slept soundly...

...for a few, preciously short hours. He was instantly alert, urging his eyes to adjust to the darkness as something moved around the room. He rolled out of the bed, grabbing the intruder and throwing them onto the bed. There was a surprised yelp and the room was flooded with a bright light. He blinked rapidly, finding Chloe on his bed, one hand extended to the gas-less lamp on the nightstand. Viviana had mentioned that 'elecicity' powered it, though Murtagh wasn't sure he understood. All he knew was that it was no fire or werelight.

"Can I help you?" the blonde asked rather rudely, folding her arms across her chest. She wore something of tunic down to her thighs, leaving little to the imagination. Murtagh concluded that this world's women must have been like it's name: bland. Chloe herself was rather shapeless, as well as senseless, apparently.

"I'd be asking you the same, lass. I believe you mentioned earlier your room is further up the hall," Murtagh said as he watched her slide off his bed. She tossed his a fake smile.

"Yes, but this is my house. I need to find something." she said, walking over to the closet and throwing it open. She began rummaging through it, and Murtagh made an impatient noise. If he was ever going to sleep soundly, it would be now, and here she was, disrupting his peace. He didn't even want to be awake; awake he could miss Thorn, asleep he could not.

"Can you not search for it in the morning?" he asked.

"Not if I want to go to sleep to tonight I can't." she said, voice slightly muffled. "Here it is." she grabbed pulled out a long, old trunk, carrying it over to the bed. As he watched her open it from over her shoulder, Murtagh was surprised to find that there was a bow inside, a long with a quiver of twelve arrows with fletches from an unknown bird. The bow was no masterpiece, more of a toy than a tool for hunt or battle, but Murtagh recognized the influence of traditional Empire bows in it's make.

"Your father make that?" he found himself asking. Chloe's hand jumped away from the bow as though she'd been burned as she remembered his presence, and she nodded.

"Yeah, yeah he did." She picked it up, turning it once it her hand before handing it to Murtagh. Murtagh took it, eye brow raised. As he inspected it. He found an inscription on the inner curve of the bow, and recognized it as the Ancient Language. He glanced at Chloe, finding her eyeing him closely.

"That inscription, can you read it?" she asked quietly.

"I can, though not many from my world can. It's the Ancient Language," Murtagh said. "Though your father didn't seem privy to it's good grammar. Roughly, it's meant to say: 'Fly high, my dove.'" as he spoke the words Chloe mouthed them, eyes closed. When she opened them he could see her eyes were burning with tears, and he hoped to all the gods that she would not cry, at least not in the room with him. Fortunately, she mumbled her thanks and replaced the bow in it's trunk and hauled it out of the room.

Murtagh fiddled with the lamp, his thoughts revolving around Chloe's father, Galatyn. He'd never heard of such a man, though perhaps he wasn't even alive anymore. How else would the secret of the Crystal of Eoam have remained hidden? Even Galbatorix didn't known what it truly did-or did he? Could that have been the true reason Galbatorix coveted the Crystal?

As usual in his life, questions, questions, and yet more questions, with never an answer in sight.

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**Thank you, and don't forget to review! :) **


	2. Chapter 2: Home Is Where The Wish Is

**Here's Chapter two, and I'll only say to role with it for now, and that it get's better and will make more sense within the next few chapters.**

**!REVAMPED!  
**

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**Chapter 2: Home Is Where The Wish Is**

CHLOE

Chloe was waken up the next morning by something hard and pointy sticking her in between her shoulder blades, and she rolled off of what she realized was a bow she hadn't touched since she was twelve and she'd thought her father had died. And just like that, the memories of the previous day came flooding back. Funny how this time yesterday morning her biggest concern was her band. It was currently her own (small) income, and if she didn't need the money so badly she wouldn't have anything to do with it. But money was tight, and she was already relying heavily on the hope that she'd be granted the scholarships she'd applied to for the dance academy. Her dream school was definitely worth dealing with the jerk that was Xander Samson and the ever-irritating Jennifer Hern. Benji was cool in my book, but that was mostly because he as stoned have the time and it was his friends who payed to see us half the time. It was mostly Xander that posed the problem, and he was the reason she had initially turned down the offer after his band's first singer had quit.

Xander had a reputation for playing rough and not caring about people's feelings in the process. He was perpetually angry, and that showed in his music. Chloe wasn't a bad singer, which was the only reason he tolerated her. Viviana didn't like her hanging around him, especially ever since a practice a few weeks ago after Jennifer had had to get stitches in her side after he's pushed her into a nail sticking out of the wall in his uncle's basement after he was unhappy with their set. He'd been drunk at the time, and Jennifer had been quick to forgive him, going as far as swearing that she'd tripped. It was around that time that Chloe had lost the little respect she had for Jennifer. And Benji... well he'd been so out of it that day he hardly remembered anything even happening.

After a quick shower and getting dressed, Chloe was ready to sneak past the kitchen and be gone before she could get into the usual argument with her mother.

"Chloe, where are you going?" She cringed at her mother's words, slowly turning to face her mom, whom she could see sitting at the kitchen table.

"Band practice, mom," she said, and Viviana pursed her lips.

"I thought we talked about this." she said unhappily, and Chloe shrugged.

"You talked, yes. But I need this money, so as much as neither of us like this, I have to go." she said. She noticed Murtagh was nursing a cup of coffee he didn't seem particularly fond of.

"You know how I feel about that Xander boy," Viviana continued.

"Yes, but until he's arrested or sent to rehab or both, I have to deal with him." Chloe reminded. Viviana wasn't convinced, but she perked up, turning to a grimacing Murtagh as he was taking another sip of coffee.

"Murtagh, I hate to have to ask you to endure this, but would you mind accompanying Chloe to her band practice? She get's together with some of the worst youth in the area to produce something they and a few others call music, and I never feel comfortable knowing she's around those people." Viviana said.

"Oh my God mom! I don't need a babysitter. Besides, if anyone's the problem it's Xander. Benji is Benji, and the most Jennifer has to offer is STDs, which I won't be getting from her for obvious reasons." Chloe said. Viviana ignored her.

"Please?" she asked, and Murtagh looked like he was about to disagree when Eragon appeared in the kitchen.

"When do we leave?"

Chloe and Murtagh were silent as she drove them to Xander's uncle's bar a few miles away. Chloe found herself wondering not for the first time if it was Xander who insisted on calling Donald 'uncle' or if it was the other way around, and just why it wasn't 'dad'. Maybe it was an adopted thing, and Xander didn't want to call him anything other than 'uncle' because he was adopted. She waited for Murtagh's onslaught of questions, but they never came. He didn't seem nearly as interested in this world as Eragon seemed, only seemed to observe the world around him with cool, calculative eyes. Chloe wasn't sure how he did it; if she ever ended up in his world, she'd have a thousand and one questions, she was sure. As they pulled up outside of the bar, Chloe finally turned to him.

"You're probably going to be shocked by what you're about to hear, we're a sound somewhere between rock and alternative which means absolutely nothing to you. Right. Look, just, just try not to talk, okay?" she asked. She was seriously beginning to question the logic behind her mother's idea, but knew that it was too late now. Besides, she could just pass him off as a weird cousin or something.

As she led Chloe through the empty bar, she realized that she was seeing the world around her through new eyes. With her head swirling around with how Alagaësia must be, all scenarios influenced by movies, mythology, and books, she felt her perspective of her own world shift. She was beginning to think that it lacked natural appeal, and that everything was so...modern, and yet with a civilization so advanced, why did they have so many wars of their own?

"This way," Chloe told Murtagh, though she was hardly paying him any attention to him, and more to the grimy, uneven steps she was leading him down to the bar's basement. As usual she had to jingle the door knob and then push with her shoulder before the door gave way, and she almost twisted her ankle stepping into the room. She caught Murtagh shaking his head.

"Hey, guys," Chloe greeted. Two heads turned in surprise, and Chloe couldn't blame them. None of them ever greeted each other, only went straight to tuning their instruments. And so it did not come to a surprise to her when she wasn't greeted in kind.

"Who the hell is that?" Xander asked, nodding towards Murtagh. Chloe scratched at her head, realizing that while she'd thought up of a clever-enough story as to who he was, she hadn't thought of giving him a name that didn't sound so...made up.

"That's a great question, Xander, that I will definitely answer. Jennifer, hey..." she added, smiling and waving at the brunette. Jennifer raised an eyebrow. "Right, as I was saying, this," She turned to Murtagh, biting down on her lip for a moment. "This is...this is Marty. Yeah, Marty is my cousin. From Minnesota. You know how weird Minnesota is. Some might say he's even set in the wrong time. Anyway he's visiting form his...farm, and my mom wanted me to show him around." Chloe said. Xander eyed him for a minute, and then rolled his eyes.

"Sure, whatever. Just as long as he doesn't get in our way," Xander said. Chloe raised her eyes in surprise, having expected an argument from him. Not one to take Xander's rare good moods for granted, she quickly turned to Murtagh.

"So, _Marty_," she said with a half smile. Murtagh didn't return it. "Right, so you want to just crash on that couch over there? Just don't inhale when you sit, and give it a few seconds for the inevitable dust cloud to settle," she said, gesturing to the couch amid the sea of beer crates and snack boxes. Murtagh obliged with a grunt, leaving Chloe to wander over to her place by the mic.

"Where's Benji?" Chloe asked, noticing the missing band member.

"Idiot's sick, which probably means he's too high to drive here. Just follow along on guitar, you know the strings, right?" Xander asked, though it didn't really sound like a question. Chloe glanced at Jennifer, who was sitting at her drum set, flipping her hot pink and black drumsticks in the air. She nodded, picking up the electric guitar from it's stand and quickly adjusting the strings.

"Sure, I can try. I'll follow your lead?"

Xander counted them down, and then began playing, followed by Chloe, then Jennifer. Counting down in her head, Chloe eased up to the mic, her lips almost touching it as she began to sing.

_"This doesn't make much sense, think far out but I'm still locked in. I'm lost, walking circles, the floor swallowed me up whole, there's nowhere to go," _

She noticed Murtagh sit up straighter on the couch, intrigued by the sound he was hearing.

_"There's a vulture, on my shoulder, and he's telling me to give in! Always hissing, right in my ear, like it's coming from my own head! It's got me mixed up, trying not to give up, tell me there's a way to get out of here! Oh, fixed...at...zero!" _

She actually thought he might have looked a little impressed. She couldn't blame them, individually they might not have been all that, but hey, together they weren't too bad. Not to mention that Alagaësia couldn't have great music. So what, yeah, sure maybe they had rain forests and global warming was a myth, but so what? What did they listen to, Enya?

_"I've learned to talk with my fingers, the only voice that wakes my ears. Oh make my bones do something! Ever wanna jump out your skin? Anticipate until the sidewalk ends! There's nowhere to go!" _

As she sang Chloe found herself giving her best, like she had something to prove to Murtagh, something along the lines of, 'sure, you've got unicorns and dragons and pretty elves, but we've got kick ass music!'

She rolled into the last verse, and she felt the pleasant warmth of smugness spread over her as Murtagh nodded once in approval, as if to say, 'not bad'. _Yeah, besides, unicorns are _so_ overrated. Like, hello, that's why we have photoshop?_

Band practice didn't last for much longer after, as Xander called it off and left pretty quickly. Jennifer looked just as surprised.

"He's seemed distracted all practice. Maybe I'll go see if he's okay," Jennifer said, and she too left.

"Oh, I'm sure you'll make him feel a lot better," Chloe muttered under her breath.

"You don't seem to enjoy the company of your...band," Murtagh said as they closed up the basement. Chloe snorted.

"No, I really don't. We're all just using each other until something better comes along. We all know that," she said, and Murtagh chuckled darkly.

"Sounds familiar," he said so quietly she couldn't be sure she had heard him.

"So it didn't look like you were as freaked out as I thought you might be," Chloe admitted as she unlocked her truck.

"Your form of music might be different, but it does not make it back. Only different," Murtagh said. Chloe shrugged.

"If you say so."

"So what did Murtagh think of town?" Viviana asked, as she washed the few dishes in the sink before dinner.

"It was fine. He actually kind of liked it. I introduced him to the band as my cousin from Minnesota." Chloe shrugged.

"Good, good. Chloe, there's something I want to tell you. Eragon and I were talking earlier...I told him that if he finds a way to Alagaësia, that we would go with him," Viviana said. Chloe gazed at her mother uncomprehendingly.

"Sorry, what?" she asked. "It almost sounded like you said we should move to a country I'm not even prepared to admit exists in a world outside of ours," Chloe said.

"Please don't be difficult, Chloe. But think about it, wouldn't you like to meet your father again?" Viviana asked.

"Yeah, sure, that'd be great. I just have a question: where would we find him? How would we find them? I'm sure Eragon and Murtagh will take time from their busy schedules and help us find him. That's another thing, how are we supposed to support ourselves, and where will we live? Is dad even alive?" Chloe said, beginning to pace the kitchen.

"Chloe!"

"No, mom, I'm serious, because I'd like to remind you about what Murtagh and Eragon told us just last night: they're on opposite sides in the middle of a war that they're currently in. You want to bring my six year old sister into that?" Chloe said hotly.

"Don't speak to me that way. I am your mother and I know what is best for you and your sister. How can you even suggest that I would want to put either of you in harms way?" Viviana asked sternly.

"Because you're obviously not thinking! I think that for the first time in your life you've decided to be selfish about something. But maybe it's time to move on and-and for get about dad, especially if it's making you so crazy!" Chloe yelled.

_Smack!_

Chloe gingerly traced her fingers to her burning cheek, gaping at her mother. Viviana looked just as surprised by her own action, and was staring at Chloe with her blue brown eyes full of regret.

"Chloe-"

"We're done here," Chloe snapped, turning around and stomping out of the kitchen. She couldn't believe her mother had just smacked her, except the tingling in her cheek was proof enough. But she couldn't really feel the pain as much as the wave of anxiety flooding through her at her mother's harebrained idea of transplanting them to Alagaësia. Why couldn't she understand that nothing good for them could be waiting for them there? Her father-if he was even alive, and if he was, what where the odds of finding him without technology?-who was to say that he even remembered them? Thought of them, and hadn't moved on with a new family of his own?

_I wish there was someone who understood me completely._

Chloe didn't realize then how nine words could change her life.

* * *

In the kitchen Viviana wept silently, her face in her hands. Why did this have to be so difficult?

_I only want for my children to have their father again..._

* * *

Both Eragon and Murtagh paced their rooms. Now stronger than it had been since their arrival, the feeling of loneliness and utter despair was devouring them. So they paced their rooms like caged animals, restless.

_Saphira.._

_Thorn..._

Had they been in their own world, these two single-word thoughts would have been powerful mental blasts, able to cripple anyone within a league around them through sheer pain.

* * *

Ronnie went to her closet, gently opening it and peering into it. She smiled to herself with an innocence only a child could know as she pulled out a small shoebox and lifted the lid. Inside where her secrets and treasures, senseless to anyone but her. She took out a small leather pouch her mother told her daddy had made for her when she was a baby, where inside she kept her most important treasures. From inside she pulled out a pretty rock, smooth and pink and about the size of her small palm. She pressed it to her lips, singing softly to herself. "Pretty rock, pretty rock, be my best friend so we can make everyone happy again."

Then she stood up, put her brown sandals on, slinging the little pouch across her chest. And then she marched out to the yard with the fiercest determination a six year old could muster.

* * *

MURTAGH

Murtagh left his room ready to tell Viviana that as grateful as he was for the meal she had prepared, he couldn't stomach even the thought of food, not when he felt like this. As Eragon emerged from his room, it was clear that he felt much the same, though Murtagh doubted he'd be willing to let Viviana's labor over the meal go to waste. He studied his brother, his half-brother's face, and for a moment he found himself wishing to say something. But then he thought better of it, knowing that it was not his place. Besides, he knew from experience that no words would comfort him, not when he felt the same pain-

A wave passed through him, and he shivered in delight. That, whatever it had been, had felt like-but it couldn't be...

"You...?" Eragon began, eagerly and Murtagh nodded his head quickly.

"Feel it too? Yes, I do." Because that had felt like magic. And unfamiliar magic, but magic all the same. Together the two flew down the stairs and through the kitchen, passed a flustered Viviana and into the back yard. They skidded to a stop on the slippery grass next to Ronnie, who was sitting on the ground, green eyes fixed on a spot in midair. Both Murtagh and Eragon frantically searched the air, looking for what they knew not.

"There!" Murtagh exclaimed suddenly as the air seemed to ripple a few feet in front of them at eye level.

"This must be the way," Eragon murmured.

"It must be," Murtagh agreed. "But how do we harness this magic?" He asked. Murtagh shook his head, staring at the spot unblinkingly.

"Ronnie, you should go call on your mother, tell her to get ready to return with us to Alagaësia," Eragon told the little girl. Murtagh raised an eyebrow.

"Eragon what promises have you been making?" Murtagh demanded. "We don't even know if we have enough energy to take us back!"

"But we have to go! Me and mommy and Coco and Rocky Valentine!" Ronnie exclaimed .

"Sorry, Rocky Valentine?" Eragon asked.

"He's my pet rock," She explained. Both men nodded slowly.

"Strange world, this one," Murtagh muttered.

"Is everything all right?" Viviana had joined them in the yard and was watching them wearily. Murtagh scowled as Eragon glanced at him, but motioned for him to continue nonetheless.

"Viviana, we think that if there is ever a time to return to Alagaësia, it is now. Will you join us?" Eragon asked. Viviana looked alarmed, as though she hadn't expected to have to make such a decision now.

"I-now?" she asked, and Eragon nodded as Murtagh made an impatient sound.

"Yes, now. We do not know how long the magic will be activated for," Eragon said.

"Though, to be fair, we also don't know _how_ we'll access this magic," Murtagh reminded Eragon.

"All the same, now or never," Eragon said.

"Okay," Viviana breathed. "I have to get Chloe and our things. Just two minutes!" she yelled as she ran back into the house. Murtagh watched her leave in concern. He doubted she'd be able to get Chloe out of the house-if at all-in under two minutes. Eragon seemed much more optimistic as he picked up a giggling Ronnie up from the ground and chanted that he was returning home to his Saphira. Murtagh didn't want to get his own hopes up just to see them dashed, but even he couldn't help the hint of a smile on his own face.

He was going home.

* * *

CHLOE

Chloe jumped at the frantic pounding at the door, and looked away from Padfoot, to whom she'd been tending. The dog had been barking nonstop for the past two minutes, excited over something she couldn't identify. She trudged over to the door and wrenched it open, rolling her eyes once she saw her mom.

"Mother," She said icily.

"Not now, Chloe. We have to go-_now_!" Viviana exclaimed.

"Go? Go where-hey!" Chloe exclaimed as Viviana, spotting something over her shoulder, pushed passed her into the room and grabbed the trunk with her bow in it and thrust it into Chloe's arms.

"Quickly, we can't lose time!" Viviana said. Chloe glanced down at the trunk in her hands, eyes widening.

"Oh no-oh _hell _no!" she said as she followed her mom into her bedroom. Viviana was pulling things out of her closet until she pulled out two leather packs.

"Carry one," Viviana instructed, tossing it to Chloe. Chloe yelped, nearly dropping her bow to the ground as she struggled with her full hands. Viviana side stepped Padfoot and Chloe watched in disbelief as Viviana began to pull out gems, silver, gold, and jewelry out of her dresser and stuffing them into a bag which she then stowed away in the pack she was holding.

"Did you rob a jewelry store without me noticing?" Chloe asked. She felt like she was looking at a stranger as Viviana tugged her out of the room, Padfoot following them excitedly.

"Where we're going, this is our new currency. I've been preparing for years-just in case. When I mentioned going to Alagaësia it wasn't a decision I made lightly. I'd thought about it for years. This afternoon I made a few more arrangements-I had a feeling," she said breathlessly, something of a smile ghosting her lips.

"Oh my God you really are crazy," Chloe said.

"You say that know. But I have us started on supplies and enough gold and gems to last us, even if we have to travel across the entire Empire to find your father!" Viviana said, and Chloe groaned.

"Isn't the Empire the team Murtagh's playing for? The bad guys?" she asked as they tumbled into the yard.

"We'll be fine, Chloe," Viviana said confidently, kissing her daughter quickly on the cheek and then jogging forward to meet Eragon.

"Typical of a woman to have so many packs," Murtagh murmured. He glanced at her. "Though I will admit I am impressed she managed to convince you into coming," Murtagh said. Chloe glared at him.

"First off, my mom's brilliant so back off. Only I can make snide remarks about her. And, secondly, I expected something impressive. Where's your stupid portal, huh? I see no lights, hear no epic music-this all just _screams_ hoax-" she broke off as she caught sight of a ripple in the air just in front of Eragon, a ripple that seemed to tear through the very fabric of everything she knew to be real and believe in. The tear filled with white hot light, and the world was bathed with a light so bright Chloe had to shut her eyes.

* * *

**Thanks for reading, and please review! **


	3. Chapter 3: Into Alagaësia

**Hello all! Welcome, I don't own the IC cycle obviously, read author notes at bottom, yada yada yada. Long chapter ahead, ho!**

**!REVAMPED!**

* * *

**Chapter 3: Into Alagaësia**

CHLOE

Someone had once told Chloe that anything sucked into a black hole was expanded and then shrunk down into nonexistence, all in the span of a few seconds. This felt like that, only longer, and with what she hoped was without the nonexistence. But she couldn't be sure, she wasn't sure of anything. She wasn't sure if it was dark, or if she was in the presence of a blinding light. Did it matter? Was she hurtling through space, or pinned down to the ground? Was she moving her body? Was she even _in_ her body? She thought wildly. _If this is one of those karma things where I'm dead and about to be reborn as a bird, it better be a huge ass bird so that I can pick up Murtagh and drop him off the nearest cliff_! She though to herself crossly. He was the last thing she could clearly remember seeing, and so seemed liked the perfect person to lie her blame upon.

She laid there for what seemed like eternity, until there was a loud and sudden _pop!_ in her ear and all her senses came rushing back to her. She could feel dirt she was lying stomach down on, she could smell it, she could _taste_ it... she pushed herself into a sitting position, reveling in the cool breeze that caressed her face. Until she realized that she was blind. She bit back a scream, not wanting to attract any attention in such a vulnerable state.

Time passed and Chloe was pretty sure she was bout to suffer from a panic attack. Not being able to see was really killing her. _Oh my God, watch me get eaten by a giant dinosaur! What were those things Eragon said, that were damn near impossible to kill? Shadows? What if there's one lurking here!_

_ Get a grip, girl. You are in some strange magicky-land, and you're blind. Obviously you need to find Ronnie and Mom, and Eragon and Murtagh...but he's kind of evil here, so let's not find him. Eragon it is. He seems like the saving damsels in distress type. _

_ Great plan, _the sarcastic voice in her head mocked. _Except we've established you're blind. So how are you going to find people in your current state? _

_ Sarcastic me is right. God I wish I was a Hufflepuff,_ she thought miserably to herself. She was about to move around, though in which direction she hadn't chosen yet, when there was a loud thud as something heavy moved over the ground. She froze, holding her breath.

_Okay, totally didn't actually mean to anything with the whole dinosaur thing..._she thought weakly. _At least it sounds far away. Wish I could see anything other than damn shadows! _And it was true. She was beginning to see areas of light and areas of shadows.

_Maybe I can climb a tree, get onto higher ground. Oh please, I can barely climb a tree when I can see, try blind. _

Chloe was contemplating just what she could do when a bark tore through the air. She recognized that bark.

"No frigging way..." she whispered. "Padfoot!" She called. She heard movement, and then she was knocked to the ground and her face furiously licked. She couldn't help but laugh in relief.

"P-Pads! S-stop!" She said in between her laughs. She was finally able to sit up, and she felt Padfoot sit next to her.

"Did you gain like a hundred pounds or something on the way?" She asked her faithful dog. He certainly felt like he weighed more than usual. She reached out to pet him, only to find that his back was much higher than she expected.

"Okay, so did you grow or did I shrink?" She asked shakily. She blinked several times, trying to clear her blindness. It still didn't really work. Chloe thought that maybe, _just maybe_ she could see the outline of her hands, but then again it was so faint she wasn't sure if she was imagining it or not.

Again she thought about the thud she'd heard earlier. .Even if Padfoot had gotten bigger-somehow-there was no way that giant thud had been him. Then what was it? she had a flash of memory from when Murtagh and Eragon had spoken about their dragons and gulped. Eragon, good guy, sure, but she wasn't really fond of the idea of being found by his dragon, Saphira. She threaded her fingers through Padfoot's fur, thinking wistfully about home.

_I knew this place would suck. _

ERAGON

Eragon woke up on his back, his vision swarming with black dots. He sat up gingerly, the world around his spinning. He closed his eyes for a moment as as feeling of sickness overtook him, and he tried to steady himself. Finally the nauseousness passed, and he opened up his eyes again. He recognized a few details of the area he was in, but just barely seeing as he had flown over it once previously. He took in a breath of fresh air. He was home!  
_Saphira!_ He exclaimed, sending out the cry for his other half as far and loudly as he could, with both mind and tongue. He did not care who heard him, as long as she did.

_Eragon!_ He heard her familiar call back to him, and before he could even see her the two embraced, melding their minds together into a single, joyous being. Eragon heard a rather loud roar, followed by the beating of two strong wings. Half a minute later and the beautiful sapphire dragon was dropping out of the sky in front him, snaking her neck around him.

_I have missed you greatly, little one. I knew that you had not perished, and yet..._ Saphira said, training her brilliantly blue eye on her rider.

_I understand. But I've returned, through magic of the strangest nature. I am no even certain where it was I went, but I was told it was called Earth...Murtagh was transported with me. Have you seen him? What of Thorn? _Eragon asked immediately, ducking out from under her neck to scan her body. _Let me heal you, Saphira_. He could see several scratches, and a few worried him.

_I am fine, little one. Thorn is currently disabled. That insolent hatchling was no match for me without his rider to heal him. _Saphira said smugly. Eragon grinned.

_I wouldn't doubt it for a second. _

_ And Murtagh? Did you likewise overcome him? _Saphira asked. Eragon looked away sheepishly.

_Murtagh and I came to an agreement to not harm the other while we were in the other place. We both believed we'd need each other's magic to come home, but in the end I am not certain that we came to return through our own volition, or magic. _Quickly Eragon shared his memories with Saphira.

_I see...so these other two-legs are here somewhere? Along with Murtagh?_ She asked. Eragon nodded.

_We need to find them, and quickly. This world that they are form is incredibly different. They have weapons of such mass destruction...if Galbatorix were to ever learn of them, I fear he might attempt to access that place. We need to find Viviana and her family, and Murtagh. I hate to do this but if we find Murtagh we can use Thorn as leverage and take him our prisoner. Where is Thorn now? _Eragon asked. Saphira sent him an image of a beat west of their location.

_We can fly in that general direction, looking for the other as we go. If we cannot find them, then you can stand guard over Thorn and I will find the others. _Eragon said, jumping into the saddle with the speed and grace of an elf. He had to admit, he felt much better now with his reflexes back to normal, and much more balanced with his ears once again pointed. Somewhere in the back of his mind he noted this as ironic, given that he had started this journey as a human.

Saphira unfurled her great wings, leaping into the air after three running bounds. A single mighty beat of her wings and gained enough elevation to skim the trees.

_What happened when Murtagh and I disappeared? _Eragon asked Saphira.

_I am uncertain. When you and Murtagh were dueling on the ground near the Crystal of Eoam, it surged with magical energy. The light was so bright I lost sight of the world for a few brief moments. When it receded, you and Murtagh were gone. I took that opportunity to incapacitate Thorn. How is it that you returned?_

_ I can't answer that. It just happened. Oromis often said that not all magic was explainable, and that no one truly knew anything of Eoam,_ Eragon said with a sigh. _What of Arya and the elves? Has Nasuada been made aware of my absence?_

_ No. Arya and the other elves have yet to arrive,_ Saphira informed him.

_Yet to arrive? _Eragon asked worriedly. _They must have encountered the troops of the Empire. They should have been here by now. _

_ Eragon, the elves are fast on their feet but it would take them more than a few hours to reach the ocean and then sail across it to this island. _

_ Hours? I've been gone for two days! _Eragon exclaimed.

_ Eragon, you were only gone for three, maybe four hours. _

_ Earth days must be different, and yet, the sun seemed to always rise and set at the same pace..._ Eragon thought. _Strange indeed. _

Silence stretched between the pair, each enjoying simply being in each other's company again. Both had to recover from the shock of so suddenly and unexpectedly having their bond seemingly cut off.

_There is something below us, stirring movement in the trees, _Saphira said, preparing for descent. She landed on an out cropping of rock amidst a sea of trees, waiting as Eragon dismounted.

"Chloe! Viviana! Ronnie!" Eragon called out. _Strange names, _thought Saphira to him. "Murtagh!" Eragon added as an afterthought, thought he doubted his half-brother would answer him. They were home, and therefore once again enemies.

"Eragon, is that you?" A voice called out. A woman stepped out from behind a tree, walking a little clumsily towards him.

"Yes, it is I," Eragon said, rushing forward to help her.

"Thank goodness. My sight, I can't see too well..." Viviana mumbled as he took her hands and led her towards Saphira. "Ah...I think it's returning to me," she said, and then shrieked in surprise. Eragon grinned.

"Viviana, I would like for you to meet Saphira Brightscales," Eragon said. Viviana fell to her knees, watching the magnificent beast before her in awe.

_ "_Saphira Brightscales...it is an honor to meet you! It was always my husbands dream to meet a dragon," she said, tears welling in her eyes. "He told me stories so often about dragons, and I can't believe I'm finally seeing one come true!" She exclaimed. Saphira snaked her head lower, watching the woman. She blinked once, turning to Eragon.

_Tell her I thank her for watching over you when I could not, and welcome her to Alagaësia. _Saphira said. Eragon voiced Saphira's message.

"It was no trouble at all! Eragon was a delight to have around the house! He's such a nice boy," Viviana said. Suddenly she froze, scanning him. "Eragon, where's Ronnie? I thought she was with you. Dear Lord where is she, and Chloe? Where are my girls?" She began hysterically.

"Viviana, please remain calm. I am sure Ronnie and Saphira are fine, we just have to find them," Eragon said reassuringly. "We must-" Eragon stopped short of a giggle. Both he and Viviana looked at Saphira.

"Did...did Saphira just giggle?" Viviana whispered. Saphira herself appeared confused, and snaked her head around to her saddle bags.

_Eragon, there is something wriggling in the saddle bags,_ Saphira blinked in surprise. Eragon walked over to the saddle bag cautiously, opening the side quickly to reveal a smiling Ronnie.

"Ronnie?" he asked in surprise.

"Eri!" The six year old said happily, holding her hands out for Eragon. Eragon pulled her out of the saddle bag.

"Ronnie!" Viviana cried out in relief, running forward to hug her daughter.

CHLOE

_I refuse to die in this world by being eaten,_ Chloe thought to herself stubbornly. She was alone, other than with her dog, and she had no idea where her mother or little sister were. Not to mention the two dragons that were flying or possibly stomping around.

"Story of my life," she huffed loudly.

"Chloe?" she heard someone call out. For the second time that day she froze. The voice belonged to Murtagh. _Evil Murtagh now, who works for some psycho evil King guy. FML, and then one more time!_ More than anything, She opened her eyes, which she had been keeping closed, and was happy to see that she could see better now. Now she could see shapes, so that was something.

"Pads, be quiet," she whispered to Padfoot, before nearly screaming as she turned to look at her dog. Padfoot had not been the size of a Shetland pony the last time she could properly see him, but now...eyes wide, she took in a shuddering breath before shaking her head. Eyes wide, she searched for somewhere to hide. By the shapes around her she figured she was on the fringe of a forest. She ducked behind a tree, patting the ground in front of her for something to defend herself with. She found a short dense log and picked it up, not entirely sure she knew what she was going to do with it.

"Chloe, where are you? I was certain I heard your voice..." she heard Murtagh call out. He was getting nearer and nearer to her hiding place. Damn it, weren't him and Eragon some sort of mind readers? She was backing away from the tree, about to run when she tripped over a raised tree root. She squealed in surprise, catching herself. But it was too late, Murtagh was sure to have heard. She jumped up, unsure of what to do when several things happened at once.

Murtagh stepped from around the tree she had been hiding behind, a look of irritation evident on his features. There was a roar and ground shuddered as a marvelous sapphire beast dropped down from the sky, mere meters away from the tree line Chloe and Murtagh were in. Murtagh turned towards the dragon, while Chloe shrieked in fear, slamming the log she held into the side of Murtagh's head.

"Chloe?" she heard someone call, but she hardly paid them any attention. She dropped the log, rushing to Murtagh's side.

"Murtagh! Oh my goodness, I am so sorry! I didn't mean-and the dragon-and I _freaked out_!-oh, I'm just so sorry!" she exclaimed, not sure of what to do. Someone pulled her up to her feet, and she found herself looking up into the beautiful brown eyes of Eragon. She had to blink several times as she stared at him, because she recognized him as Eragon, and yet he had changed. His features were sharper, more angular, eyes slanted and his ears. They were pointed! She snapped out of her haze, pointed down to Murtagh.

"Thank God, Eragon! I'm sorry but I freaked out and I remembered that Murtagh was kind of evil and then I saw and a _dragon _and then..." she trailed off miserably head slumped. Eragon laughed.

"Eragon, this isn't funny! I might have just killed a person, because yes, sadly, jerks also count as people," she snapped, hitting his arm. Eragon composed himself, though the mirth was still evident in his eyes.

"Your worry is unneeded, Chloe. You've only knocked him unconscious; I can hear him breathing." He cocked his head to the side and pointed to his pointed ear.

"Right, of course elf ears. I should have known," she said sarcastically. His smile widened.

"Seriously, what's so funny?" she asked.

"Only, I have been trying-along with many powerful others-to capture Murtagh for quite some time, and here you are knocking him unconscious with a wooden log!" he said, chuckling. Chloe heard a deep rumbling, and she leaned around Eragon to see the dragon once more.

"Is she...laughing?" Chloe asked, watching her in amazement.

"Yes. Chloe, please meet Saphira Brightscales." Eragon said, making quick introductions. As she did with Viviana, Saphira snaked her angular heard forward, resting to a stop in front of Chloe.

"She's beautiful." Chloe breathed. She reached out a hand, and then quickly withdrew it. "Uh, may I?" She asked Saphira timidly. The dragon nodded, and Chloe slowly set her hand over the rough scales. They glittered in the sunlight, and Chloe realized that she had regained her sight.

"Amazing..." she muttered. She caught sight of her mother watching her fondly from Saphira's saddle, and her smile dropped as she went over to her.

ERAGON

_I like this one, _Saphira said to Eragon, humming contentedly. Eragon rolled his eyes. _You like anyone who compliments you enough. _He told her. He looked back towards Murtagh. _All the times we fought him, and we could never gain the upper hand, and here she comes, hitting him upside the head and... _Eragon shook his head. _This all seems to be too good to be true_, he mused.

_Perhaps the tide of war is changing to our favor, _Saphira said. _I still have many questions, however. The only way I saw the woman Viviana was because I _saw _her. I could not sense her mind as I do now, the same with the child and Chloe. It seems that there minds are...developing. Within another hour or so and they should feel...normal,_ Saphira said. Eragon pondered this.

_I see, but why could you sense mine so easily so quickly? _

_ You are from here. They are not. More importantly, Eragon, you and I are bonded and together once more. The rest may come as it comes. _Saphira said, humming contentedly.

CHLOE

Eragon had them set up a camp near where Thorn was still unconscious. Chloe had been stunned by the sight of the dragon; clearly he was injured, but morbidly beautiful. His scales shown like the purest of rubies, and he seemed to sleep soundly, thought the gashed around his shoulder and stomach suggested otherwise. Chloe wouldn't consider herself an expert on dragon anatomy, but she could swear his wing was bent at an unnatural angle, and that the tears in the membrane were probably as painful as all hell.

Murtagh had been placed under a tree, and Eragon had placed enchantments over him to force him into what he explained to be a form of stasis. Chloe had been disappointed by the lack of sparks and flashing lights as he performed the spell, but then figured that she's had enough of flashing lights to last her a lifetime. Saphira had her sapphire eyes fixed on him and Thorn alternatively. Viviana, to Chloe's surprise, had begun building a fire like she'd been doing it all her life.

"You're father and I used to camp a lot," she'd shrugged when Chloe had asked. Ronnie was busy picking sea shells by the water with Padfoot, who although now was much more intimidating, was as playful as ever. ("I probably should have mentioned that Padfoot was actually your not a stray we found when you were young, but the dog your father had when he was transported here... it's why we never took him to the vet") Which, in retrospect, Chloe felt explained his sudden towering height, shaggy fur, and new scary canines.

As they sat around the fire, Eragon began to explain Alagaësia to them and the proper way they should be conducting themselves in the presence of others. They had all quickly agreed that where they came from had to be kept secret.

The next day came and went by much the same. Eragon found them fruits and berries to eat as they waited for what he'd told them the previous evening was a group of elves that were coming by ship. It wasn't until midday that Saphira spotted a ship on the horizon as she returned from her hunt, and Eragon had them all change into the clothing that Viviana had in her packs. He went over all he had taught them yesterday once more Chloe almost laughed at the medieval times-like dress her mother was wearing, until she realized that she was dressed similarly. However, while Viviana had, for the first time since her husband had left, let down her long black hair, and braided half of it back, she looked beautiful. Chloe looked...

"It is your hair," Eragon muttered unhappily, and Chloe raised and eyebrow.

"Excuse me?" she snapped, and this time it was Eragon who raised an eyebrow. She rolled her eyes.

"I mean, whatever do you mean, Argetlam?" she said as she had been instructed to address him.

"Better. And I mean that most women keep their hair long when they are your age, and I've never seen a woman with blonde and brown hair," he said. Chloe rolled her eyes.

"You're lucky it isn't pink or blue or something," she said, running a hand through her hair. It was wavy and just past her chin, with the bottom section brown so that when she tied her hair up you could see the brown. It had seemed like a good idea at the time.

"I'm bringing some style to Alagaësia. You're welcome," she said.  
Eragon didn't seem quite as convinced.

ARYA.

Arya had never been one to reveal emotion through her expression. A smile would, occasionally, grace her features. But, if she was tired, angry, or surprised, she never let it show. But she, along with the other elves, couldn't keep the mixture of shock and surprise off her countenance.

After the battle of Feinster, the Varden had proceeded to take Melian and Furnost. Neither battle had been nearly as difficult as Feinster, and there had been no other Shades. In fact, the battles had gone so well that Eragon Shadeslayer hadn't been needed. There had been no danger of Murtagh and Thorn arriving to wreak havoc, seeing as the Red Pair had been set assigned to another task. The Varden had miraculously intercepted a message among the King's noble's that Murtagh and Thorn would be traveling to the Island of Beirland, to harvest the power of the Floating Crystal of Eoam. Although the elves truly believed that only a mad king could assign his rider such an impossible task, there was always the shadow of a doubt. So Eragon and Saphira had been sent off by Nasuada to stop him. Arya and the elves had been left behind for practical purposes against Arya's better judgment. Eragon had convinced Nasuada that they would only hinder his and Saphira's speed, suggested they 'caught up with him a few days later'. Arya had believed that Eragon's rashness had improved somewhat, but clearly she was wrong. He still acted the fool. How could he possibly think that this time he alone could overcome Murtagh? Even with an Eldunarì at his disposal, Murtagh had many more.

So Arya couldn't blame herself when the look of shock and surprise overcame her. There on the shore stood Eragon, conversing with a human woman she had never before seen. He was laughing, and he didn't seem to have a single scratch on him. Saphira was nearer to the water, letting waves wash over her tail and claws as she watched a small human child clamber over her back. She also didn't show seem to show signs of of having battled. Occasionally, she would glance a few meters further up the beach where a large red dragon, whom did look like he'd taken a harsh beating, lay sleeping. She looked once more to Eragon, who perhaps hadn't noticed their presence yet. She was about to cry out in warning as he noticed a another human creep up behind him and pounce, only to see Eragon pin her down to the and stand again in a matter of seconds, offering her his hand. As though he'd been told to look over, Eragon broke off his conversation, looking towards Arya and her companions as they neared the shore. He waved, smiling widely.

"Lower the boats," Arya ordered.

Twenty minutes later she and four other elves were pulling their boats to the shore, and stepping onto the sandy beach.

"Eragon Shadeslayer," the elves behind Arya saluted in unison. After the greeting was finished, Arya cleared her throat.

"Eragon, who exactly...?" she was, for what she believed to be the first time in her life, stunned. She blinked as Eragon _smirked_ as though unsurprised that she couldn't currently for a coherent sentence.

"I will start at the beginning," he told her and the elves that were quite obviously impressed.

ERAGON

Eragon set off on a well rehearsed story that he had carefully constructed in the Ancient Language. He spent an unnecessary amount of time explaining and exaggerating minor details regarding the weather and flight patterns. They elves, too polite to tell him that they didn't care about these trivial details, listened attentively. Arya, however, narrowed her green eyes at Eragon suspiciously. She knew him too well, which was why he gently pressed his mind to hers.

_I am sorry, Arya. I would not contact you this way but there is some sensitive information I would rather no one learned other than you and Lady Nasuada. _Eragon said urgently. _Swear in the Ancient Language that you won't reveal any of the information that I am about to tell you to anyone or anything without my consent. _

Arya didn't even attempt to hide her feelings of unhappiness and irritation from Eragon. He sensed her wonder why he had to always be so difficult and idly wondered if the woman behind him where more long lost relations. She sighed internally, and finally swore to secrecy. Eragon briefly explained his situation with a series of images and words.

_Eragon, why must things always ever so complex around you?_

_ I didn't cause this!_ Eragon said defensively. He withdrew into his own mind, and finished telling his tale to the elves of how the Crystal of Eoam surged with power and caused him and Murtagh to experience a brief state of unconsciousness. When he had awoken, Viviana and her two daughters had woken with him and Murtagh, with little memory of Alagaësia. His words were truthful, though he had interchanged many for them to mean the truth he knew to be true.

"Our people have often regarded the Floating Crystal of Eoam with much caution, as it is a source of wild magic," One of the elf women said wisely. The others nodded in agreement.

"How is it that Murtagh sleeps so? By your tale, he has been sleeping for a day and a half!" an elf man said next.

"Ah, yes. My new friend, Chloe, helped. I've placed sleeping enchantments upon him. When the Crystal's magic surged, I believe it removed mine and Murtagh's wards. It is the only explanation that I have come up with," Eragon said, and this time he wasn't withholding any half-truths. "Thorn sleeps because of Saphira. She inflicted the damage on him herself while Murtagh and I were unconscious. Without Murtagh to heal him, Saphira triumphed." he grinned. At this the elves laughed their musical laughs.

"Yes, I am certain Bjartskular was magnificent," the elves agreed.

"Eragon, would you introduce us to your new companions?" Arya asked.

"Of course. Please, come with me," Eragon led the elves further up shore to Viviana and Chloe, who had been joined by Ronnie and Saphira. The elves paused first in front of Saphira, greeting her and admiring her latest conquest, before turning to the humans. Eragon coughed slightly, looking at them expectantly, and Viviana and Chloe snapped out of their staring to go through the formal introduction Eragon had taught them.

"...And may the stars watch over you."

Arya stepped forward.

"I will speak for my brethren, as they are not all versed in your tongue," She said. "I am Arya, and I thank you for the help you have given all the free races of Alagaësia with you simple, yet effective action. As I am sure Eragon has told you, Murtagh and Thorn pose an enormous threat to the wellbeing of anyone who opposes the Mad King. Arya said, dipping her head in a stately manner. Chloe was taken aback, Eragon could tell, by Arya's beauty and the sheer presence she emitted.

"N-no prob," Chloe grimaced as a slight head ache overtook her. "Er, I am only glad I could be of assistance," She revised as Arya raised an eyebrow. Arya nodded her approval, and turned to Eragon.

"Where is Murtagh?"

"Beneath that tree. I thought it best to keep him out from under the sun, his brain is addled enough," he muttered, showing Arya to their prisoner. Murtagh lay under the shade of the tree, a dog standing guard over him.

"Is that a Shrrg?" Arya asked in alarm as she reached for her bow. "How is it even here?"

"No!" Chloe cried out, putting herself between the giant dog and Arya. "That's my dog!" She said defiantly. The pain in her head wasn't getting any better, and she did not appreciate the elf woman pointing an arrow at her dog.

"The...dog it is not a threat, Arya," Eragon said tiredly. "And for what it's worth, I believe it to be half Shrrg."

CHLOE

Chloe's head was practically spinning. Eragon had introduced the elves to Ronnie, who where simply delighted with her. They had even taken to calling her _Fair Child_. Then conversation had quickly turned to the matter regarding transporting Thorn. She didn't understand all of what they were saying, as most of the conversation was taking place in what Chloe had earlier been told was the Ancient Language, but from the bits she could pick out in her own tongue they could easily bind Murtagh physically and magically into a cabin on the ship. Thorn was the problem.

"I'm going to go for a walk," Chloe winced out to no one in particular. No one noticed her anyway, and so she stumbled into the forest, faintly aware of the soft padded steps of Padfoot trailing behind her. Reassured by his presence, she pressed on, unsure of where she was going only hoping she'd run into the small stream Eragon had collected fresh water for them earlier. With her canteen empty, she figured her headache stemmed from dehydration. She knew was going the wrong way when she stepped clear of the trees, and was about to turn back when fell to her knees, her head feeling like it was about to split in agony.

_Come._ The voice called to her in her head. She tried to muster up fear at the intrusion in her mind, but she was too overcome by her headache. There was something unnatural about that voice, otherworldly and ancient. It was then that she realized that she was standing on the outskirts of the crater above which a gem so bright she could hardly stand to look at was suspended. _The Floating Crystal of Eoam,_ she realized. She had yet to see it, and Eragon had said that it would be best not to linger near such unpredictable magic.

_Come_. The voice spoke again, and a force compelled Chloe to step forward. She slid down the curved walls of the sand and dirt crater, looking back to Padfoot. He remained sitting on his haunches, head cocked to the looked down at her. She turned back to the Crystal, mesmerized. She was a dove trapped in the eyes of a snake.

_Come_. When asked later, Chloe would full-heartedly admit that it was one of the least sensible things she'd ever done, walking towards the same crystal that had zapped her to another world, that spoke in her mind. But at that moment, captivated as she was, all conscious thought was irrelevant.

_Your greatest desire, fulfilled_.

Chloe watched in wonder as the Crystal shed what looked like a glistening white tear. It trailed down the side of the Crystal like a liquid moonbeam, and Chloe rushed forward, hands cupped to catch the liquid tear. She nearly fell over when the tear landed in her hands. The "tear" was larger than her head, and weighed several pounds. It was solid, and it looked like the purest white stone she had ever seen. She stumbled away from the Crystal, which she could have sworn was only the size of her two fists put together.

Dazedly, Chloe spent the next fifteen minutes trying to climb out of the crater with the large stone in her hands. When at last she heaved herself over the edge of the crater next to Padfoot, she panted, out of breath. She looked over to Padfoot who was watching her, dare she say it, in amusement. Looking back to the stone, she wondered what the voice in her head could have meant by her desire. She'd never desired to be rich, nor had she ever had an interest in archeology. What had she wanted very badly, and recently? She could only think of her last night home, and wishing for someone to understand her. Although it was certainly the king of pet rocks, this wasn't really what she had meant.

"You know Pads, there _is_ something familiar about this. I know I've never seen anything like this before but..." Chloe thought hard. Had it been a Crown Jewel of some sort that Jennifer mentioned? She'd always liked sparkly things, but no, that seemed way off...she flicked her nails against the stone impatiently, causing the faintest musical notes from the stone that made the hair on the back of her neck stand on end. That sparked something in her memory, something that Eragon had said.

_"...so my uncle and I took it to a trader who specified in precious minerals...various instruments to tap the stone and it produced eerie notes I had never before heard...stone had been an egg...dragon, Saphira..."_ Chloe shook her head, scrambling away from the white stone. She looked to the Crystal, glaring.

"This is very funny. Hilarious, I am about to _die_ laughing. Just great, really. So my mom decides to transplant us to _Narnia_. I nearly caused Murtagh permanent BRAIN DAMAGE, and Eragon is an ELF BOY. You made my dog into a freaking BEAST, and my little sister is playing house with a DRAGON THE SIZE OF MY HOUSE! My mom's a freaking girl scout, building fires like she belongs here...and you give me _THIS? _No, you take this back NOW because my GREATEST DAMNED DESIRE was not to be dragged here, my GREATEST DESIRE was not to be sucked into a a war-because that's what this means for me now, huh? So no, if you could either kindly take that _thing_ back or zap me with lightening, I ever so grateful. That that as my greatest desire!" she shouted, holding her arms out in challenge. Minutes passed, and nothing happened.

"Chloe," someone called. Chloe's shoulder's slumped in defeat. That was not the voice of the God she was internally praying to, no matter how much Eragon might have looked like a god.

"Never thought I'd be one of those girls to say this, but the world, screw that, the _universe_ is against me," she grumbled miserably. "Pads," She called to the dog. He sat up, and she shoved the white stone under him, ordering him to sit over the stone.

"You'd make a fabulous hen," she told him darkly as she turned in the direction of the forest. "Eragon, over here!" she called. She tried to appear at ease, like she'd just taken her dog for a walk and not been thrust with a-she couldn't even think it.

"Chloe, we've been searching for you for a while now," Eragon said.

"Doubt it, you're a mind reader. Crap, you're a mind reader," Chloe remembered, and she tried to focus on anything but the stone, which of course made her think about it.

"You were instructed not to go running off," he said sternly.

"I remember. Which is why I walked off," She said smartly, and Eragon rolled his eyes, a retort ready on his tongue when a deafening roar tore through the. It sounded pained and angry.

"Thorn," Eragon cursed, taking off in the direction of the beach. How he knew that the roar was Thorn and not Saphira was beyond Chloe. It all sounded the same to her.

"C'mo, Pads. I think I'd rather go meet the angry dragon than stick around this Crystal any longer. Who knows, I might just sprout elf ears too," Once she reached the beach, she saw that it was much more tense than she had imagined it would be. All the elves and Eragon had reached for their weapons, eyes intent on the red dragon.

Thorn was still lying on the ground, conscious as he thrashed around, only held down by Saphira. The female dragon had her front claws pinning down Thorn by his back, his wings unable to do anything more than flutter weakly. Her jaws were clamped firmly around his neck, causing the little fire he was able to spew out to splatter randomly, uncontrolled. Chloe could see the sand around the two dragons had melted into jagged glass. She spotted her mother and sister by the trees, both looking away from the sight. She ran over to join them, stopping first by her bag and slipping the stone into it before everyone could notice. Then she joined her family.

"What happened?" she asked. She noticed her mother had tears in her eyes as she held onto Ronnie, hands shaky as she stroked her golden curls.

"R-Ronnie was playing in the water next to Saphira, and then she got too close to Thorn, who had awakened without us noticing and he tried..." she trailed off, unable to finish the sentence. "If it hadn't been for Saphira..." she trailed off once more. Suddenly she appeared angry.

"For goodness sake, Chloe, why do you have to wander off?" Viviana snapped, pulling her into a hug.

"I was fine, mom. I had Pads with me," Chloe lied. She turned around in her mothers arms, one hand reaching for Ronnie's as her eyes found Thorn.

He was now her enemy number one, and Murtagh, as his rider, would be as well.

SAPHIRA

_Submit. _Saphira growled to Thorn. She opened her thoughts only to Eragon and Arya. Thorn didn't answer, only struggled beneath her, causing Saphira's fangs to tear further into his neck.

_What have you done to Murtagh?_ Thorn finally snarled.

_Your rider sleeps. Now submit, oath-breaker, lest death come to him. _Saphira answered.

_You would not dare kill him, or I should die with him. Eragon would not kill his own brother. _

_ Half-blood of a brother, perhaps not._ Saphira consented. _However the elves..._he sent him an image of Arya, who was positioned wit her bow aimed at Murtagh. _Her aim is true,_ Saphira added, and Thorn began to thrash once more. Arya let loose an arrow, which lodged itself a hair's breadth away from Murtagh's head.

_Tell him this time I will aim for his heart_, Arya said grimly to Saphira. Saphira relayed her words to Thorn, who let out another frustrated roar, and then lay still.

_I...submit._ He said in the Ancient Language. Satisfied, Saphira removed herself from the red dragon, wading into the ocean to clean her dragon-bloodied claws, her eyes never straying to far from the ruby red dragon.

_He submits,_ she said to the rest of the elves who had not been privy to their conversation. The elves cheered her prowess and excellent reflexes.

Arya walked to Thorn.

_You and your rider are our prisoners. If you do not comply with our wishes, Murtagh with face the consequences. Do you understand?_ She asked. Saphira was impressed with the elf woman's ferocity, a ferocity of which she approved.

_...I understand_. Thorn answered reluctantly. He slithered a small ways away to lick his wounds. Saphira looked to Eragon. His transformed face held little emotion, but she could feel his inner toil. She knew he hated to fight another dragon, and to have to fight his old friend and blood relation.

"Arya, I think we should heal him, in part at least. If he swears in the Ancient Language to not harm us, he will not have a choice. Otherwise, I'm not sure how we will transport him. Murtagh will be our leverage. Thorn knows I can't, won't kill him like this, but he believes your bluff. Thorn must know me too well through Murtagh's memories." Eragon said. Saphira blinked her agreement.

_He has proven to not be a match for me. _She said. She saw Eragon's lips twitch upwards. Arya considered his words, and then nodded once.

"Very well. We shall devise an oath for him now," she said. Eragon smiled, turning towards Saphira, when Arya called out to him.

"I was not bluffing," she said, and with that she joined her kin.

Saphira could see Eragon was slightly troubled.

**Hello reader! Thanks for reading this! I just wanted to add in a quick message to say that if you're confused, you should be a little bit! There are still a lot of unanswered questions flying around as the characters attempt to make sense of the situation that they find themselves in. Theories will be flying around for the next few chapters, so be warned! Part of the plot revolves around them trying to figure out what the hell is going on! Thanks and review! :)**


	4. Chapter 4: Destination Dragon Hold

**Welcome! Thanks for continuing with this story and thanks to those who had favorited/added this!**

**!REVAMPED!**

* * *

**Chapter 4: Destination Dragon Hold **

CHLOE

Chloe realized that she had clearly overreacted. Obviously her greatest desire wasn't to become a dragon rider. Really, what did some random, gravity defying crystal know? It knew zilch, that's what. So Chloe really didn't have any problems. At an appropriate time, she'd just casually slip the stone somewhere. Or she could just hand it over to Eragon. But, then again, he'd ask too many questions, and quite frankly she didn't to tell him that the Crystal had thought that her 'greatest desire' was to get landed with _that_. So she just needed to slip it into his house, hut, whatever it was these people lived in whenever they go there. Problem solved. If anything, Chloe wanted to laugh.

Really, the idea of her being a dragon rider was absurd. She began laughing out loud as she imagined herself on a dragon similar to Saphira, swinging a sword and uttering a battle cry. Oh yeah, she would have been _so_ feared.

"What's so funny?" Chloe jumped up from the bunk where she was still laughing. She looked up to see her mom.

"Uh...I'm on a boat? Ha, ha, yeah, I'm on a boat, I'm on a boat everybody look at me 'cause I'm sailing on a boat! I'm on a boat, take a good hard look at the mother-"

"Chloe! You know I hate that horrible song! They curse just about every other word!" Viviana admonished.

"Oh, well, I thought it was fitting, because, 'yeah, I never thought I'd be on a boat, it's a big blue watery road...!" she began singing again, and Viviana shook her head, leaving her daughter's cabin.

The previous day they had finally all boarded the small vessel the elves had arrived in. It wasn't much to look at, looking and smelling more of a vessel used to transport fish for market. Murtagh had been transported into his own cabin and secured with enchantments, and Thorn made to swear an oath. Eragon had assured her that the oath would prevent the red dragon from causing anyone harm or escaping, but Chloe still had her doubts. Thorn didn't look like the type of dragon who liked to be boss around, and there was something definitely murderous in his blood red eyes as he watched them all. If anything, that dragon was plotting to eat them all in the most painful way possible, Chloe was sure.

One of the the elves had shown Chloe and Viviana to separate cabins, quiet as he moved and silent in speech. All the elves where like him, long haired-hair either silver or raven-and quiet. If they spoke around Chloe or Viviana it was only when either Eragon or Arya were around to translate. They mostly stayed on the main deck to crew the ship.

But now Chloe was bored. Patience had never been her strong suit, and she did tend to find trouble if she didn't have anything to occupy her time with. After singing 'I'm On a Boat' twenty times, imagining herself teaching said song to the elves who would have no idea they were cursing, and then picturing herself on the bow of the ship singing 'My Heart Will Go On' with Eragon as her Jack, she was definitely getting bored. She was edging slowly towards the door, half expecting it to open to reveal her mother telling her not to do anything stupid when the door did open. It wasn't her mother, but rather the elven beauty Arya. Chloe was still in awe of the woman, and admittedly, intimidated. Chloe vaguely wondered if she was a mind reader as well. Arya said something in a language she didn't recognize, and then spoke to Chloe.

"I am not a mind reader. Neither is Eragon, nor is Murtagh," Arya began. Chloe quirked an eyebrow.

"Really? Are you sure? Because your statement vastly contradicts what you just said."

"It is possible," Arya said, observing Chloe closely. "To examine the mind of another being. It is a skill that few humans possess as they cannot all concentrate their minds enough to do so. For us elves, it is much simpler. At this moment, I was not peering into your thoughts. If that was what you were thinking, it was a mere coincidence. You were thinking that earlier, however." Arya explained.

"Uh-huh, so now you could, say, _peer into my mind_ if you wanted to?" Chloe asked nervously.

"I cannot. Eragon has placed several wards around your mind and that of your mother and sister. These wards will draw upon your own energy, all except the child's, as Eragon fears that she is too young to have energy being taken from her. You see, magic..." and with that, Arya launched into a basic explanation about magic and the way that these wards could affect her, and how she had to immediately alert either Eragon or Arya herself if she felt her energy draining.

"So I'll be fine unless someone tries to force their way into my head?" Chloe asked unhappily. She really didn't like any of this. As useful as it was, it was also...not.

"Yes."

"What if this person doesn't stop? You said if the wards aren't removed then they'll keep draining me until I die. That seems like a serious breech in logic, if you ask me." Chloe said. The expression on Arya's face told her that Arya had no intention of asking her.

"Yes, but you will have contacted Eragon or myself before then. These precautions are only temporary, as Eragon wishes for you and your mother to be able to defend your minds." Arya said, moving to the door.

"Are you going to teach me?" she asked. The idea of Arya teaching her anything was terrifying.

"No. Eragon has said that he will instruct you personally. You should consider it a great honor. Few have the opportunity to be taught by riders," Arya said with the ghost of a smile, and then she was gone.

_Great, _Chloe thought to herself. _Not only do I need to learn how to defend my body, I have to also train my mind._ She checked that her bag was safely stored under bunk. Not that the elves would pry, as she had noticed they were eerily polite. _Maybe even too polite,_ she thought as she stepped out of her cabin.

Her boredom had returned, and so she wandered towards the nearest ladder, ready to go above deck, no matter who said what.

* * *

ERAGON

"Saphira and I have been thinking, and this does not seem right," Eragon said to Arya as she joined them in the captain's cabin. He knew she had just been speaking to Chloe just as he had spoken to Viviana about the wards he had placed around their minds. While he did trust the elves not to pry, he found that the two women sometimes projected their thoughts, and so thought it best to take action. Especially with Chloe, whom he found to be quite loud. She would need a lot of practice getting her thoughts under control. Arya raised an eyebrow, bringing him back to his latest concern.

"So we should have left Murtagh and Thorn on that beach? Left them to return to their master-"

"No, you misunderstand me. Thorn gave us his word that he would not hard us. He didn't even have much of a choice. Saphira would have done the same if you'd been pointing and arrow at my heart." Eragon agreed. "But Saphira and I have reviewed the battle between herself and Thorn through her memories, and there are moments that strike us as...odd. Saphira is superior in aerial navigation, but she agrees that Thorn is a formidable opponent for one so young and with such a stunted growth. He has proven that fact in previous battles. And yet, when they fought, Thorn made a few mistakes that even a hatchling would know to avoid,"

"You say that Thorn wanted to be captured?" Arya said in disbelief. "For what reason? As you said, he swore not to harm us," she pointed out. Eragon nodded.

"Yes, _he_ swore not to harm us." Eragon took in a deep breath. "When Murtagh was fighting against Oromis-elda, he was not alone for long. Galbatorix took him over," Arya's eyes widened as she realized the implication of his words.

"You believe that he might attempt to do so again, only this time to destroy the Varden from the inside," Arya finished for him.

"Aye. Of course, that would also mean that Galbatorix assumes we won't kill his two most powerful servants, which makes my theory seem less likely, given that after the defeats of the Ra'zac and Durza, and the loss of the Urgals, he doesn't have anything other than his human army to battle against us." Eragon said, running a hand through his hair in frustration.

"Allowing his rider and dragon to be captured leaves too much to chance, makes them dispensable. He _must_ have something else planned. None of this sits well with Saphira and I,"

* * *

SAPHIRA

The big-sparkling-water beneath Saphira seemed to call to her, for her to leisurely swim within its depths. But she could not. She had to watch the red-traitor-Thorn. Eragon and the pointy-eared-she-elf had used their magic to heal him enough to fly back to the Varden.

While all seemed well-she had her Eragon back, and they had captured their enemies-Saphira could not find it within herself to rejoice.

_Why do you serve the King?_ Saphira found herself asking Thorn. Traitorous and vile as he may be, Saphira was curious, a quality that seemed to be influenced by her rider.

_Why do you serve the Varden?_ Thorn replied. He did not seem very interested in conversing with Saphira, as his current concern was Murtagh's mind. His enchanted sleep prevented communication, which Saphira knew to be frustrating.

_I serve no one but myself. I am allied with those who will aid me in rebuilding out race. I serve to free the land of a mad king and egg-breaker, _Saphira said. There was a hint of pride in her voice.

_As do I. The King has plans to rebuild our race, and it is no secret he holds mind and Murtagh's true names. He is more powerful than you or I. It is only a matter of time before he learns yours and your rider's true names and you will not have a choice. _Said Thorn, retreating further into his own mind, making it clear that he did not want to continue the conservation.

Saphira silently fumed. The dragon before her was a coward! Nothing compared to her old Master. Any hope that she held that Thorn could perhaps once father their glorious race was gone.

* * *

CHLOE

The elves had prevented her from going above deck, thus ending her adventure before it could start. Then they had prevented her from exploring what lay beyond the last door on her deck, because apparently Murtagh was there. At this point the elves seemed to have lost some of their patience, and they instead suggested she go take care of her Shrrg-like dog, leaving Chloe to wonder once more what 'Shrrg' meant. So she returned to her cabin with Padfoot in tow, trying to ignore the the pack under her pack that seemed to be begging for attention.

It took them two days two reach the mainland because of a storm, and both Saphira and Thorn were forced to swim rather than stay hidden. Eragon had briefly told her that their presence needed to be kept secret because the later the King knew of the fate of his servants, the better it would bode for the Varden. They reached the docks of a port town called Reavstone as the last rays of the sun shone.

"Hey, Eragon!" She called to the young rider as he passed by her cabin. The elves hadn't said so in quite so many words, but she had gotten the gist that she was confined to her cabin for the time being, especially after the time she had accidentally wandered too close to Murtagh's room. She was beginning to believe that they thought she was either A) murder him in his sleep or B) release him. She was somewhat flattered they believed her capable of either.

"Chloe," he greeted her, a look of amusement crossing his features. She knew he knew how bored she was, which seemed very funny to him.

"I have a question, maybe more. How, exactly, are you going to hide an enormous red dragon? And two, where are you going to keep said enormous red dragon? I don't suppose you have a dungeon big enough?" she asked. With nothing else to preoccupy her mind, she had turned to trying to solve this puzzle. She had let her imagination run wild, with her favorite scenario being Arya locking Thorn away in a tall tower. _Ha, reverse princess and dragon_. She had thought to herself. Sure, Arya might not have been a princess, but she looked the part.

"I am not at liberty to say, but do not worry. We have plans," Eragon assured her, continuing on to the ladder that led him to the above deck.

"I think Eragon just told me that the answer to my question was classified," Chloe said to Padfoot. Padfoot only barked once in response.

"Yeah, me too, Pads. Me too,"

* * *

ERAGON

Having arrive in Reavestone, Eragon now felt it was the time to contact Nasuada. So he moved past the elves who were taking turns as guards dressed in cloaks to hide their fair features. If someone spotted the elves, then they would assume that he and Saphira were present as well, and alert the Empire. It was alarming the number of spies that crept about. Eragon found a bowl and poured water from a water skin, and was joined by Arya, who shut the door behind her. She whispered the words in the Ancient Language that would prevent them from being overheard, looking unhappy as she did so. Eragon knew she loathed to keep such secrets from her own people. Eragon turned to the bowl, accessing his magic before he too uttered words in the Ancient Language.

"Nausada," he began, touching two fingers to his lips.

"Eragon. I had not expected to hear from you so soon. Did you defeat Murtagh and Thorn? There haven't been any reports of the two flying back to Uru'Baen," Nasuada said tiredly. Eragon could see that the young woman looked exhausted, and hoped that nothing had happened while he'd been away.

"Actually, Nasuada, we happen to be at the docks in Reavestone. The situation is..delicate," he began. He quickly explained the events of the past few days. She took it much better than he had expected. Perhaps it was because she was so tired.

"Why, Eragon, can things never we simple with you? Out of all the people, _you_ had to get yourself sent to another world." Nasuada shook her head. "Either way, I agree with you about the need for secrecy. Arya, what are your thoughts on the matter?"

"I believe that from this point on we must proceed with extreme caution. Our priority now much be the containment of Thorn," said Arya.

"Yes, those too are my thoughts. When I woke this morning I had not thought that we would need to contain an enemy dragon!" Nasuada said, rubbing her temples with her thumbs. "And he is complying with your demands?" she asked in disbelief.

"It would seem that way, so far. All we have asked him as of yet is to not harm us and to remain undetected." Eragon answered. "Nasuada, if Angela at hand? If at all possible I would like a word with her," A thought had just occurred to him. Nasuada eyed him for a moment, and then retreated sightly from their field of vision. A few moments later and Nasuada returned.

"I have sent for her. What of these other women? Do you deem them trustworthy?" she asked as they waited for Angela.

"I have not imparted with them any information that would harm the Varden. But I do not distrust either of them. Viviana was kind in enough to house Murtagh and I, two strangers. Chloe is young, but trustable. Ronnie is six years old, and I doubt she is a danger or asset to the Varden." Eragon grinned. He'd grown fond of the little child.

"The only worry I have is concerning Chloe. I would not want her to become of a liability because of her infatuation with Murtagh," Arya said unexpectedly. Eragon looked to Arya in surprise.

"Infatuation? She is no more infatuated with Murtagh than she is with me!" he exclaimed, chuckling.

"Then how do you explain her guilt at having been the one to apprehend him?" she asked. Eragon nodded, understanding Arya's train of thought.

"You have to understand, Arya, that for few days she knew him she didn't view him as a threat. Alagaësia was a fable to her, and therefore so were our plights. She understands now where we stand with him, that is, against him."

"Ah, Angela has arrived," Nasuada said, moving slightly to give Angela room.

"Hello, Angela," Eragon grinned as he laid eyes on the curly haired witch.

"Eragon, what trouble have you landed yourself in this time?" Angela asked sternly, thought there was a hint of a smile tugging at her lips.

"None too great, I hope. Listen, when I was captured in Gil'ead, both Arya and I were drugged with a potion that impeded our access to magic. Could you brew such a potion?" he asked.

"Could I brew such a potion?" Angela repeated. "Ha! Of course I could. What are you planning, Shadelsayer?" Angela asked, eyes taking on an interested gleam.

"With your permission, Nasuada?" Eragon asked. Nasuada nodded begrudgingly.

"She'd find out sooner or later."

"Murtagh is now my prisoner, currently in an enchanted sleep. Thorn has sworn not to harm us to spare Murtagh's life." Eragon quickly summarized. "I'd like to feed this potion to Murtagh, that way he will not pose a magical threat, nor be able to contact his master."

"And," said Arya. "If Galbatorix possesses Murtagh, he will not be able to use magic against us," Arya said slowly. "It could just work," she agree, slightly surprised that the idea had sprung form Eragon.

"What about Thorn?" Nasuada asked. Eragon knew that while she agreed would agree with the plan, she detested setting such an important task to Angela, who was no bound to her in any form.

"I would have thought that easy!" Angela exclaimed. Nasuada raised an eyebrow.

"Oh?"

"You said he docked at Reavstone? All he needs to do is continue east along the coast until he reaches the Beors. Everyone knows of the Dragons Hold there." Angela said in a matter-of-fact way.

"Dragon Hold?" Nasuada and Eragon asked in unison. Eragon doubted that 'everyone' included anyone other than the herbalist herself and Solembum. Arya shook her head.

"No one has confirmed its existence. And the few whispers of a rumor that exist of such a place also indicate that it was destroyed during the Fall." Arya said. "If it were a real place, then Oromis would have told Eragon about it." She added as further proof.

"Perhaps he didn't know about it. The point is, it is a real place, and the perfect place to detain Thorn. It's situated close enough that it's not found by prying eyes. You can't just _fly_ over it. You have to go on foot." Angela explained.

"If this place truly exists, why haven't any of the Surdans found it, and why wouldn't Oromis know of it?" Arya asked. Eragon could tell that the elf princess did not believe a word that came from Angela's mouth. He was surprise to see that Nasuada, on the other hand, was actually considering her words.

"Well humans aren't very _bright_ are they?" Angela asked. "As for Oromis, there are a variety of reasons why he wouldn't know of the Dragon Hold, and that is assuming that he didn't know about the Dragon Hold in the first place," Angela said, starting to become impatient. Eragon blinked.

"You were the one who suggested that Oromis might not have known of the Dragon Hold in the first place!" he exclaimed.

"Well of course I did. That was a possibility, whether or not I knew otherwise. Did it not occur to you that he didn't deem this information as important as everything else he had to teach Eragon? He might have meat to tell Eragon, he just never got around to it. Perhaps he left you something you could reference," Angela said. Eragon fidgeted uncomfortably. He felt as thought Angela had skirted around dangerous around the fact that he was in possessions of Glaedr's heart of hearts. She couldn't possibly know, could she?

"Well, I haven't got all day. Should I make for the Dragon Hold or not?" Angela was once agin met by incredulous stares. "Well I have to brew this potion for you, don't I? I doubt anybody else could brew it, and quite frankly I wouldn't trust anyone else. I've told you I like to be where things are happening, and I feel that right now that would be at the Dragon Hold. And, of course, I would simply be _delighted _in meeting your new acquaintances, Eragon." By this point in the conversation Eragon couldn't even muster to be surprised that Angela knew of Chloe, Viviana and Ronnie. So instead he thought. He was beginning to like this plan. If the Dragon Hold was exactly Saphira couldn't make an emergency flight to aid the Varden. It was secluded, so if things did get out of hand, Thorn couldn't harm the Varden. He contacted Saphira, who had remained quiet throughout the conversation, yet had been actively listening.

_What do you think? _He asked her. It was her judgment he valued above all, anyway.

_Angela has never led you astray before. I would see nothing for her to gain by leading us to danger or to lie to us about this place. _Said Saphira. _I would not mind seeing this Dragon Hold she speaks of. _It was decided, then. He glanced to Arya, who looked dubious.

"With your permission, Nasuada, I would like to make for the Dragon Hold."

* * *

**Thanks for reading! Please review! **


	5. Chapter 5: Chloe, Trouble Magnet

**I'm not going to lie, I actually cringed while writing the end because of the trouble Chloe gets herself into.**

**!REVAMPED!**

* * *

**Chapter 5: We're At The Dragon Hold, And I'm In Big Trouble, signed Chloe **

CHLOE

Eragon had told Chloe that they wouldn't be disembarking as previously thought. They were going to continue their voyage further down the coast and they were going to the Dragon Hold. She wasn't sure what the Dragon Hold was, and couldn't help but notice that Eragon didn't seem as familiar with the term either, like he was tasting still just tasting the words himself.

Viviana, once she'd been told of the plan, wasn't quite so thrilled. She'd told Eragon that thought she appreciated everything he had done for them since they'd arrived, her priority was to find her husband. Eragon had to explain that until he was satisfied that their minds were protected and that until Nasuada could provide suitable arrangements for them, they were basically stuck with him.

Now, a day and a half later, they were finally getting off this cursed ship. With not much leg room, and nothing more than dried vegetables and fruits and stale breads, she didn't care where they were going now. If anything, she was ready to hunt a wild boar for meat.

So when she was finally off the ship Chloe practically kissed the pristine white sand.

"Finally! Land!" she hailed. She turned to watch Saphira and Thorn emerge from the water and onto the beach like two mythical beasts of legend, the water sliding off their scales in small waterfalls. The two looked formidable, and Chloe shivered. She couldn't possibly imagine being a soldier fighting against them. _Imagine if they worked together, the kind of havoc they could wreak...Except, of course, they are on opposite sides of the war. And they're ignoring each other right now_. From what she'd gathered, Thorn had't been speaking much, which in turn had pissed off Saphira.

Chloe was soon joined by her mother, Ronnie, and Padfoot, who like her hadn't enjoyed being cooped up on the small vessel. He bounded up and down the beach, barking loudly as he chased after sea gulls, making Ronnie giggle every time the annoyed birds scattered.

"This is beautiful," Viviana commented, taking in their surroundings. She turned to the mountains that lay behind them. "And those mountains look even larger!" Both she and Chloe had expressed their shock when they'd first spotted the tall mountains, mountains that put some of the tallest on Earth to shame. Eragon had laughed, telling them that these were some of the smaller mountains of Beors.

"Everest has definitely been put to shame," Chloe agreed with her mother. So far since their arrival in Alagaësia the two had avoided confrontation, speaking politely to each other only when necessary. But Chloe's resentment towards Viviana was growing, and she knew that this was the calm before the storm. Of course, she couldn't very well explain to Viviana that the peak of her resentment had taken the form of a heavy stone she was secretly lugging around in her pack, and thought it best to avoid her for now. Her mother knew her too well, anyway.

She craned her neck up to try to see the peak of the mountains, shielding her eyes against the shining sun. There wasn't anything exactly inviting about the mountains. If anything, they seemed dark and foreboding, and if they were that big, Chloe didn't like to think of the wild animals that lived there. _Of course we have to go there, _Chloe thought, sighing internally.

"Mommy can I go into the water?" Ronnie asked. Viviana glanced to where Thorn was currently still near the water. The red dragon was watching the elves intensely as they unloaded the sleeping Murtagh from the ship and tied him to the saddle of the horse that they had acquired at the last dock. Eragon immediately went to stand next to the horse, taking the reigns from the silver haired elf that held them out to him. Eragon cast a look from Thorn to Saphira, and Chloe felt that he was telling her to watch him. Probably because it looked like Thorn wanted nothing more than to pounce.

"Not now, Ronnie," Viviana said, pulling Ronnie closer. Like Chloe, oath or not, Viviana trusted the red dragon even less than the rest of their company.

Chloe turned back to Eragon and Arya, who had joined him. She was speaking to the other elves in the Ancient Language, who seemed unhappily as they accepted her orders. Finally, they saluted her and Eragon and Saphira, then Chloe and her family, before returning to the ship.

"They're leaving?" Viviana asked, disappointed. "We weren't even able to thank them for their hospitality,"

_Yeah, some hospitality, _Chloe thought to herself.

"Yes, they are leaving so that the Varden will have more magic users," Arya answered. Though she had spent a few days already in Alagaësia, it was odd to her how casually the word 'magic' was tossed around so easily. Arya spoke of her fellow elves as thought they were simply well-trained snipers.

"I understand." Viviana said, nodding her head. "So I hear we're in for a bit of a hike?" she asked Eragon with a rueful smile. He nodded.

"Yes. We should begin straight away," He said. As much as he trusted Angela about the Dragon Hold, it was her directions he was weary of. She'd told him about all sorts of landmarks, and he worried whether they'd still be there, and if they were something that he could recognize. While she had given him significant landmarks to follow like rivers and streams, she'd also given him directions such as "bare east until you reach the rock that is shaped like a drunk goat. However, if you see the tree that looks like a bearded elf woman, you've gone too far." He wasn't too sure he had her same imagination.

Everyone gathered their packs, and they set off towards the valley between two of the smallest mountains, Eragon leading with the unconscious Murtagh, then Chloe, Viviana and Ronnie on Padfoot in the center, then Arya, Thorn, and Saphira bringing up the rear so as to watch Thorn. It would be a long walk, Chloe knew.

_Never again,_ Chloe thought as she collapsed to the ground. Eragon had just stopped them where the Dragon Hold supposedly was. The hike had, for Chloe anyway, been one of the hardest thing she'd ever done. She'd only ever gone camping with her friend Arianna's family once, and their idea of 'camping' had involved sleeping in a trailer complete with a bathroom, kitchen, flat screen TV and DVD library. The beds had even had personal heaters. Nature, as it turned out, didn't have those nifty gadgets. And while on the ship they had eaten things she was mostly familiar with-vegetables and fruits, as elves didn't eat meat-she'd at least had a bed. Being out in the wilderness twenty four seven was new for her. And there was the presence of two dragons (walking? crawling?) behind her, which was unnerving to say the least. A single single from Thorn and she'd be barbecued.

The trip had been uneventful, a bad sign in Chloe's opinion. Just the other morning everything had been just fine, and look at what had happened next. Eragon had become extremely irritated at one point of their trip, and Chloe was still confused as to what she had done wrong.

"_Hey, look at that tree," She'd laughed, pointing at the tree in question. It was willowy and with odd distorted branches. "It totally looks like an elf chick with a beard!" Eragon turned around slowly, teeth gritted as he began backtracking the way they had gone. He began mumbling about despicable directions. _

Oh, and then there had been the thing when they had grown close their destination a few hours ago. It was an enormous wolf with menacing yellow eyes and dangerous curved teeth jutting out of it's mouth. It was a bit bigger than than Padfoot. _So this is a Shrrg, _she remembered thinking. Before he could be stopped, Padfoot had surged forward, growling with his fur staring on end. Both animals pounced at once another, teeth snapping. There was a wounded howling, and Eragon had to hold Chloe back until Padfoot bit the Shrrg's throat, pawing his way onto its back. Padfoot snapped his jaws threateningly at the Shrrg's throat once more. Seconds passed, and then Padofoot moved away, a slight limp to his hind leg.

The Shrrg stood in a surprisingly worse condition, and then bowed to Padfoot before limping away. Chloe was proud to say that the Shrrg's limp was much more pronounced.

"It would seem that Padfoot has gained dominance over the Shrrg, and in so doing it's respect," Arya said approvingly. Chloe felt the hairs on her arms raise as the sound of paws and howls sounded around them in the underbrush until they faded in the distance. When the forest around them was silent once more, Arya moved forward to Padfoot and muttered a few words in the Ancient Language, healing him.

"Thanks," Chloe said gratefully to Arya as she hugged Padfoot. From that point on in the journey Padfoot had held his head up a little higher, and Chloe couldn't help but think he was smug.

So now here they were, and if she hadn't of been pointed in the right direction, Chloe might have never known that there was something there. All it looked like was dense foliage against part of the mountain. Just like the rest of their surroundings.

"This is the place," There should be some sort of 'gaping hole of death in the ground at the base of a stone mountain'," Eragon said thoughtfully, moving forward as he observed the ground in front of him.

"Gaping hole of death?" Viviana repeated faintly.

"Don't worry, Angela amuses herself with bizarre exaggerations."

"She seems like Chloe, then," Chloe opened her mouth to protest, but then shut it. Hey, it was true. Saphira, who hardly fit the clearing they were in alongside Thorn, snaked her tail forward, poking through the underbrush. She moved her tail in a wide Arc, and then retracted it. Chloe guessed she was talking to Eragon. Saphira had yet to communicate directly with her, and the few times she had actually chosen to impart a few words to her she had done so through Eragon.

"Saphira said that there is a large hole in the ground that appears to extend into a tunnel. I will go in first and see if the dragons can go through," Eragon said, handing the reigns of the bay horse to Arya.

* * *

ERAGON

_Careful, little one._

Saphira once again snaked her tail forward, this time for him to use as a ladder of sorts. Eragon drew his sword, carefully climbing down into the hole with the aid of Saphira's spiked tail. Once he reached the bottom of the surprisingly deep hole in the ground, he said, "Brisingr", and his sword lit at once, flames rising through it's length. He held his sword before him, using it as a torch. Although he could easily conjure up another werelight like he had earlier once the sun had set, Eragon had to admit that he jumped at every chance to command the flaming weapon.

The tunnel resembled those of the liked mined by the dwarves, he noticed, yet they were different. He was quite certain that it had been carved by magic. The tunnel was large enough for Saphira and Thorn as long as they kept their wings folded and heads down. There were rusty metal torches lodged in the wall, and Eragon lit them as he walked by. He picked up the pace, wanting to make sure that the rest of the tunnel didn't become narrower. He easily traveled a league when the tunnel grew in width adn he could see the light at the end of the tunnel. When he stepped out, he was stunned. Like Farthen Dur, he was inside the mountain.

_Saphira! _He called as he began running back, sword tip alighting to the torches in the tunnel. _Angela was right. It's there, just as she said it was! Can you start helping everyone down? _

_I shall_, Saphira said, her level of excitement matching his as she began to help the others into the tunnel. By the time Eragon had returned, Saphira was easing into the tunnel just behind Thorn. Arya was calming the spooked horse, whom had been magically brought into the tunnel. Their eye's met, and Eragon grinned broadly, giving her reassuring nod. Everyone walked quickly, glad to have finally reached their destination. When they reached the end of the tunnel everyone around Eragon gasped.

Leagues above them the sky was turning darker, stars beginning to pop into existence. The mountain top seemed to have removed at an angle, allowing for light to shine through during the day. The area stretched far, further than he could see. The ground was covered by large stone slabs, wild grasses springing between the cracks. With his enhanced hearing, Eragon could hear a waterfall farther down, some half league ahead of them. The mouth of the tunnel had opened up into something revealing an arena, as large as the inside of the mountain. To his left the stone was elevated substantially, and he could see the slightly crumbling reminiscent of stone buildings.

"It's about time you got here," A voice he knew well called out to him. Eragon looked up to see Angela the herbalist standing on a stone shelf above him. Eragon rolled his eyes.

"Exactly how did you discover this place?" he asked, gesturing around in amazement.

"With my eyes. Now come this way. There are steps to your left," Eragon turned to his left, and sure enough there were stone steps. He called out to his company to follow him, beginning to walk up the steps. He stopped in front of Angela, taking in his surroundings. The stone platform seemed to have stone tables and a few now-collapsed stone benches.

_This looks like a meeting area, _he told Saphira. _Somewhere perhaps where riders met and their dragons could remain present, not having to squat down since this platform is so elevated. _

_It would seem that way. It is much more dignified than having to force my head into a minute tent. _Saphira sniffed. She craned her long neck higher. _There are also perches above. I like it here. It is our Order that once was here. I can feel it. Noble Bonded Ones once stood here. _Saphira told him. Eragon smiled, turning to Angela once more. She stood with Solembum at her feet, eyeing them with feint amusement.

"When did you arrive?" Arya asked as Angela led them through a stone arch beyond the the outdoor meeting hall. The dragons consented to wait outside, albeit impatiently.

"Two days ago. I've already brewed your potion, Eragon. There are various rooms in here; I suggest you all choose your own." Angela said. Eragon saw Chloe eagerly move forward into a stone hallway.

"This place is awesome!" she called back to them. There were a series of hollowed rooms branching off from the hallways, all rather large. Each room was carved from stone with a stone platform for a mattress. Some of the rooms seemed as though they had never before been occupied; they were bare other than the stone platform and dried leaves that collected over the centuries. Others were in much the same condition, but had fragmented and decayed remains of wooden chests, and tattered remains of cloth.

"Zero privacy though." Chloe added as she emerged from one of the rooms to Eragon's right. Each room had a rectangular opening, but no doors.

"Easily fixable, Chloe," Eragon assured her.

"Good, because, you know, privacy is important." Chloe said quickly, her voice slightly higher in pitch. Eragon raised an eyebrow, but brushed it off as her lack of sleep. He turned around, standing in the middle of the hall, waiting for everyone to join him.

"We can all settle in later. It would greatly ease my mind if Murtagh were not capable of magic, even though he now sleeps." He said. Arya nodded in approval, glancing to the unconscious Murtagh still in the saddle.

"Where will we do this?" she asked.

"If we backtrack just a bit, there's another meeting room, this one _indoors._" Angela said. "I've already brought my potion in there." She informed them. She lead teh way into the meeting room. It was a large circular room, once again made entirely of stone. There was a central round table, surrounded by high backed stone chairs.

"It makes me think of the Knights of the Round Table." Viviana commented as she entered the room holding Ronnie and with Chloe in tow.

"Mmm, Round Table Pizza," Chloe said dreamily, rubbing her stomach. Viviana glanced at her daughter.

"I thought you didn't like their pizza."

"Right about now, I'd give anything for _any _Earth food." Chloe said. She quickly covered her mouth as Eragon shot her a pointed look, subtly nodding to Angela. If the herbalist had heard, she didn't give any indication that she had. Eragon sighed, turning to the bay horse and lifting Murtagh out of the saddle, carrying him to the stone table and laying him down as though he weighed nothing. Impressive for a guy as lean as Eragon, Chloe thought.

"Stand back," He told the two women, excluding Angela and Arya, whom he looked at now. "Help me hold him down," Arya nodded, moving around the table and holding one of Murtagh's arms.

"Angela, I'm going to awaken him from his sleep, and then I want you to administer the potion." Eragon said firmly. Angela stepped forward, removing the cork from a glass flask. It held a colorless, odorless fluid.

"Whenever you are ready." she said, her flask in position.

"_Vakna_," Instantaneously, Murtagh tried to sit upwards, struggling against Arya and Eragon. Both elf and rider were having a difficult time holding him down, and the shock of it was evident on there faces.

"Release me!" Murtagh shouted angrily.

"Now, Angela!" Angela quickly stepped forward, tipping the contents of the flask down Murtagh's throat. He struggled against her, but she forced his mouth shut and plugged his nose. Another minute of struggling, and Murtagh finally swallowed. Eragon and Arya released him, stepping away and eyeing him with caution.

"What in hellfire was that?" Murtagh demanded, wiping his mouth with his sleeve. He opened his mouth to say something else, but a blank expression overtook him. An expression Eragon recognized. Eragon rounded on Angela.

"Is he communicating with Thorn?" he asked in alarm.

"Well I don't know, do I? Probably seeing as he hasn't felt his dragon's presence for the past few days since you captured him." Angela snapped. "Really Eragon you of all people should understand!"

"You were supposed to incapacitate his abilities!" Eragon exclaimed angrily.

"You specifically asked me to make a potion so that he couldn't access his magic. That's what I did. I wasn't going to tamper with the bond between rider and dragon. That's Galbatorix's job, not mine." Angela said dryly. Eragon couldn't find a response to this, so he turned to Arya. She didn't seem to pleased, though she wasn't speaking out against Angela either.

* * *

MURTAGH

"What in hellfire was that?" Murtagh demanded, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. He was about to demand where he was when he felt that familiar presence in his mind. In that second he felt that part of him had been missing, and it was now returning to him.

And for a moment it confused him.

_You've been drugged, Murtagh_. Thorn said. The red dragon seemed equal parts annoyed and amused.

_So I've returned. _

_Obviously. _Murtagh had to admit that he had missed Thorn's sarcasm.

_In my defense, I don't remember much,_ Murtagh told Thorn truthfully.

_Oh, it was a battle worthy of any rider, _Thorn said sarcastically. _Just imagine, the pupil of the most powerful rider in existence struck unconscious by a blow to the head administered by a human child. _At Thorn's words his memory came back to him, making him cringe. He remembered how Chloe's eyes had widened in fright at the sight of him. She hadn't been the first person to shrink away from him with such an expression, nor would she be the last, he knew.

_She thinks I'm an evil bastard. _

_Murtagh, you _are_ and evil bastard._

_And you're not helping, _Murtagh retorted.

_The girl is the least of our concerns. Do you remember our orders? If we failed to harvest the powers of the Floating Crystal of Eoam, then we were to allow Eragon and Saphira to capture us. Although that did not go to plan because of yours and Eragon's untimely disappearance. I..._ Murtagh could feel Thorn wince, pride stung. _Allowed myself to be defeated by Saphira as Galbatorix ordered, and swore an oath not to harm the Varden as he ordered. He never anticipated your sleep or your loss of magic. He was quite certain Nasuada would have Eragon parade us through the Varden as captives of war. White I cannot pretend to feel bad about the fact that Galbatorix will not possess you now, you and I are now in the hands of the enemy. _Thorn said grimly. Murtagh considered their situation for a few seconds.

_Did you contact him through Yurì? _Murtagh asked.

_I attempted to, for further instruction. You know how Shruiken is. He would not let on much, other than the fact that the King was pleased with our progress and would eventually send reinforcements. It would seem that our King has temporarily abandoned us in our time of need. _Thorn explained dryly. Murtagh frowned. None of this made sense, and there was something about Thorn's tone...

_There's more,_ he realized. He knew that if he could see Thorn right now, the red dragon would be fidgeting uncomfortably.

_There is something, it may be nothing, but it certainly made my scales itch. The way Shruiken spoke...Galbatorix really didn't seem to care much about out predicament. I expected promise of punishment. If anything, it seemed as though he couldn't be bothered. It seems something else is preoccupying him and whatever it is is pleasing him enough for our _failure_ to be overshadowed. _Thorn said uneasily.

_This may prove to bode well for us. If the King is not constantly watching us with the eyes of a hawk, we can work on our true names. We'll play Eragon's game, but once we're free we can leave. _

_And where to would we flee like cowards?_ Thorn queried.

_We wouldn't be cowards! _Murtagh exclaimed angrily. _We would be looking out for ourselves. _

_Alright, self justification aside, _Thorn said, starting to get impatient. _But again I ask: where would we go? I highly doubt the elves will grant us sanctuary. Perhaps the dwarves? I'm sure they'll welcome us, especially after you killed their King-_

_Fine, you've made your point. But we could leave. We could leave Alagaësia altogether and do what we've always wanted to do: search for other dragons, _Murtagh said. Thorn considered him for a moment, then-

_We'll see. At least we are reunited once more. _

* * *

CHLOE

Chloe watched as Murtagh's expression went blank. She had noticed that the same thing happened to Eragon when they were in deep conversation. The curly haired woman named Angela had shoved some sort of potion down Murtagh's throat, which apparently enabled him to use magic. Murtagh's expression finally returned to normal, and he turned to Eragon.

"You drugged me?" He asked.

"What would you have done in my place?" Eragon retorted. Chloe moved forward to Murtagh, and his eyes slid to her.

"Chloe-" she held a hand up to stop him.

"Look, I'm a little sorry about the log to the head thing, but..." Eragon was already moving the moment he saw her hand rise, but he was too late. She slapped him across the face. Murtagh glared at her as he held a hand to his burning cheek. He looked murderous, and Eragon quickly pulled her away.

"YOUR DRAGON NEARLY SNAPPED UP MY BABY SISTER!" She shouted, struggling against Eragon to have a go at Murtagh.

"Chloe!" Viviana gasped.

"Chloe, I really think you should calm down," Eragon said, effortlessly steering her to the other side of the room even as she fought against him.

"Let go of me!" Chloe said, eyeing Murtagh with a glare. The look he shot her back told her he wished Eragon would.

"Not until you control yourself," he told her. Chloe went limp in his arms, and he slowly retracted his hands.

"I'm calm." Chloe snapped, stalking out of the chamber, preparing to follow Chloe.

_Allow me, _Solembum said, strutting past her. The herbalist watched the werecat for a moment, before starting towards her own chamber, humming an Urgal jig as she carried on her way.

_I know your secret. _Chloe jumped, looking around the room she had ducked into wildly. She was alone, other than a strange cat. Was that Saphira that had just spoken to her? And how did she know? Maybe dragons could sense their kind's eggs-

_Down here. _Chloe looked down to see the strange cat once more.

"Did you just...?" Chloe started.

_Did I just speak to you? In your mind? Why of course I did, _the cat said, licking his paws daintily.

"And you know my secret?" Chloe asked. She couldn't help but glance at her bag laying in place of where her mattress should have been. She lunged for it at the same time as the cat pounced, but he was faster. He landed on the pack while Chloe landed painfully on the ground.

"Ow. Okay, so you know my secret. Now what?" Chloe asked, rubbing her elbow. The cat cocked his head to the side, studying her.

_You don't have to speak out loud. Focus on me, and leave your mind open. If you think what you want to say, I'll hear it. Besides, your voice is grating to me, _the cat said primly. Chloe's jaw dropped, astonished to have been offended by a _cat. _

_Better, but I'm not a mere house cat. I'm a werecat, much better and infinitely more intelligent. You should find that frightening, considering house cats are even smarter than humans. Now, as I said, yes I know your secret. Would I have said otherwise if I didn't? _He asked, tail flicking through the air.

_I don't know you very well, so that's hard to tell. Do you have a name?_ Chloe asked, beginning to lose patience. Talking cats sounded cool, in theory, but she'd never imagined one to be such a smart ass.

_You may call me Solembum. My kind does not exist in your world? _

_Nope. _

_Must be a dull world. As for your secret, how long do you think you can keep it? You should know that they'll know that you lied to them. They haven't probed your mind now, but they will want to review the events of how you found the dragon egg...it would be in your best interest if you came clean now. _Solembum said lazily. Chloe stared unhappily at the werecat. She knew he was right.

_Or I could just place the...thing...in one of the many chambers in here and wait until someone else finds it, _Chloe said.

_You don't seem to understand the gravity of this situation, _Solembum said, pacing the floor in front of her. _This egg could change the tide of war, and here you sit, keeping it hidden._

_It's not like I wanted it!_

_No, you are just hiding it because you fear being reprimanded. People are _dying_. You are carrying an immense responsibility. What if the egg were to fall into the wrong hands?_

The werecat made a fair point. Chloe deliberated for a moment, looking around. She realized now that the only reason she was seeing right now was because one of Eragon's werelights had followed her into the room, and that through the glass-less window outside it was dark, the night only punctured by the torches Eragon and Arya had lit along the way.

_Fine, but it's late right now. I'll give it to Eragon first thing in the morning. I promise._ The werecat seemed satisfied with her pledge, and left the room without another word. Deciding to call it a night, Chloe pulled out a rough, think blanket and wrapped it once around herself before laying down on the stone platform.

_Damn I wish I had a mattress. _

Chloe woke up to wailing, loud and annoying as it echoed against the stone walls.

"Shut up and go to bed, Ronnie," She mumbled. She wasn't usually so mean to her little sister, but she was tired and stressed for some reason. And why was her bed so rock hard? The wailing continued. She cracked an eye open, suddenly remembering that she wasn't in her own bed, but rather on the hard platform of a room in the Dragon Hold. She bolted upright, her thin blanket falling to the ground as she realized that the wailing was coming from her pack. She quickly brought the pack to her bunk, frantically trying to shush it.

"Shh, just, please be quiet!" she pleaded with the white egg. The white stone, to her immense horror, was beginning to crack.

"No! No! No! Go back in. You're not ready!" she heard rushed footsteps and she quickly sat down in front of the egg that had, for the moment, quieted down. Her heart hammered in her chest as her mother, Eragon, Murtagh, Arya, and Angela bursts into the room, followed by Solembum.

"What is going on here?" Viviana asked, hands on her hips as she stared at her daughter in a 'what did you do now' sort of way.

"Nothing much, why?" Chloe asked, speaking louder than necessary to cover the slight cracking noises behind her. Her mother looked at her suspiciously. The riders had twin looks of disbelief.

"To me it sounded like-" Murtagh began, but Chloe quickly interrupted.

"Like nails on a chalkboard? Yeah, I was...hitting to stones against each other to try and make a spark. I got cold and wanted a fire," Chloe said slowly. _The first thing I'm doing the second I get out of this situation is learning how to lie convincingly. _

"No it sounded like-" Again, Murtagh was interrupted, this time by a piercing wail louder than all the others. Chloe sighed in defeat, sent a dark look to the heavens, and then cleared her throat.

"Please don't kill me, but say, hypothetically, that..." She stood up, taking a step away from the white dragon egg behind her. A scaly white tail was poking through the egg, wriggling in the air, followed by a small claw. The scales were the same brilliant white as the egg, and caught the moonlight causing a soft glow to form around the reptilian tail. The dragon inside the remains of the egg, obviously struggling with it's imprisonment, began squirming in earnest, causing the egg to teeter dangerously close to the edge of the bunk. It made slight progress, now having only it's head stuck in the egg remains. Had the situation not been so grim for her, Chloe would have giggled. Wiht a final yank, the dragon hatchling yanked its head out of the egg shell, stumbling backwards off the bed. Everyone instinctively took a step forward to catch the newly hatched dragon.

"Né!" Arya exclaimed as the hatchling fell into Chloe's outstretched hands. Chloe seemed to realize the same thing as she stared at the baby dragon in her hands in horror, and then gasped as a searing pain clutched itself around her right palm. She looked up at her palm, which was shaking, and then back to dragon in her arms. She looked up to the others. Her mother looked terrified. Angela fascinated. Eragon's expression was unreadable. There was a distinct growling from outside, and Chloe could only imagine Saphira stomping around in annoyance as she couldn't fit into the chamber to se for herself what was going on. Arya looked furious, and Murtagh confused. The room was silent, and then-

"How did this come to pass?" Arya asked quietly. Chloe took an involuntary step back, unconsciously holding the hatchling tighter. The quiet fury in the elf woman's voice scared her.

"I-it was the Crystal of Eoam," Chloe said miserably, her voice cracking. She recounted the story quickly. "I was going to tell you guys abut it in the morning, I'll swear that in whatever language you want me to, but then...I'm really, really sorry," She implored, head hung. The dazzlingly white dragon in her arms gave her a flick on its forked tongue on her cheek, warming her as it fixed her with intelligent gold eyes. Chloe had been about how she'd of course, give them the dragon, but suddenly, she didn't want to. After all, it _had_ picked her. It couldn't be too bad, right? She looked back up to see Eragon shaking his head. The disappointment was clearly etched in his face, which was even worse than Arya's fury.

"Chloe, you should have come to me. What were you thinking?" He asked.

"Obviously the girl feels bad enough for tonight, Eragon. Besides, this egg chose her, and it was given to her. Obviously it is no one's business but hers and the hatchling." Angela said pointedly.

"No, Angela, Eragon's right. I wasn't really thinking at all. I know how much this dragon means to you," Chloe said quietly. Eragon stared at her for a few moments and then sighed.

"No, you do not understand how much that dragon means to us. But you will. It'll come to mean much, much more to you. Spend the night here with your hatchling. We will discuss thing in the morning. The sunrise is only a few hours away." he said, and then walked out of the room. Arya stalked out after him without a word, her tall frame nearly quaking with anger. Her cool mask had slipped, revealing something that terrified Chloe.

"Well, I should be going. I saw some toa-_frogstools _that looked ripe for the picking, and it _is_ a full moon," Angela said, leaving the room with Solembum. Nobody paused to attempt to question her. Solembum stopped in front of Chloe long enough to grin a cat-like grin at her. He reminded Chloe startlingly of the Cheshire Car.

She was left with Murtagh and her mother. Murtagh seemed to notice this as well, because he offered her some sort of an nod, as if to say that now that she had been landed with a dragon they were even, and left the room.

"Mom?" Chloe asked, voice suddenly thick. "I know I screwed up but can we just talk tomorrow?" She asked, Viviana's expression softened, and she moved to hug her daughter, pausing as she eyed the dragon. She settled for a kiss on the cheek, and then she left, leaving Chloe alone with the baby dragon. Chloe sat down on the ground, setting the hatchling in her lap.

The dragon's scales were pure white and seemed to radiate slightly in the dark. In fact, they dragon reminded her of a solid sliver of moonlight. The dragon kept its wings tucked against his body, the thin membranes pearly white. Chloe ran her index finger over one of the silvery spikes on the dragon's neck, jerking her hand back when the dragon snapped it's attention to her. It watched her through eyes of liquid gold for a moment, and then clambered out of her lap. The dragon made its way to the door, closely followed by Chloe. She thought there was something odd about the baby dragon, yet she couldn't deny that it held a certain grace.

The dragon paused at the doorway as though deliberating which was to go. The dragon chose right. Chloe followed the dragon until it reached another bedchamber. The dragon slowly wandered closer to a corner of the room, crouching down. Its tail flicked back to and fro, reminding Chloe of a cat. Without warning the dragon pounced, scuffled on the ground for a moment with something Chloe couldn't see, and then returned with three dead mice in its mouth.

"Gross," Chloe whispered, scrunching her nose up in distaste. She looked away as the dragon snapped up its meal. She waited until she couldn't hear the snapping of its jaws before chancing a look. The dragon was looking up at her expectantly, one mouse left beside it. Chloe picked up the dragon, cringing as she also picked up the remaining mouse by the tail. She walked back to her room, the baby dragon nestled in her arms and nestled in her arms and humming contentedly.

Chloe dropped the dead mouse as far from her sleeping platform as she could, and then set the dragon next to her. She laid down gingerly, eyes on the dragon. The dragon laid with her, snaking it's tail around her arm. Again she was filled with warmth, and so she snuggled closer, careful of it's spikes. There was a soft padding of footsteps, and then she was joined by Padfoot, settling next to her. _Ha,_ she thought as she drifted off into sleep, _looks like I have Moony and Padfoot, _she thought as she fell asleep once more.

* * *

**So Chloe's a rider now! And Arya's pissed! Thanks for reading and remember to review! **


	6. Chapter 6: Hey Mom, Can I?

**And now Chloe has to confront everyone, now that her secrets out.**

**!REVAMPED!  
**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 6: Hey Mom, Can I Be A Dragon Rider? **

CHLOE

Chloe hardly felt as though she'd slept when she woke up a few hours later. She knew it was morning this time as she could feel the warm sunlight against her closed eyelids. Keeping her eyelids closed, she felt around the stone bed with one hand, using the other to cover up a yawn. She frowned slightly. She knew there should have been _something _there, other than the ginormous furry dog.

The baby dragon! She bolted upright, only to sigh in relief once she spotted her newest companion. It was standing in the window like opening, scales sparkling in the first morning raise of the sun like newly fallen snow. She really needed to find out its gender and come up with a name. Calling the dragon 'it' felt somehow demeaning.

But what did one name a dragon, Chloe wondered as she walked over to the dragon, picking it up and looking it over. The dragon squealed lightly in protest, and so Chloe set it on her shoulder. No distinguishing marks to tell it's gender...the dragon lightly draped its tail around her neck like a scaly scarf, resting it's chin on her head. Chloe wished she had a camera, because she was willing to bet that in that moment they were pretty darn cute. Reveling in the fact that everyone else seemed fast asleep, Chloe walked out of the stone building, taking in a deep breath of the fresh crisp mountain air. Hearing the familiar rush of water that reminded her of the gurgling brook behind her house, she set out for it.

* * *

MURTAGH

Murtagh looked at the small body of water beneath him, wondering how deep it was. He had never gotten around to falling asleep, probably because of how long he had slept in the past days. Eragon had assured him that he would be keeping an eye on him, and told him not to try anything. Eragon hadn't even given him back his sword, which Murtagh found pointless. If he needed to slit someone's throat in the middle of the night, not being in possession of a sword wasn't going to stop him. At the same time, he didn't have magic, and Thorn had sworn not to harm them. Even with a sword, he wouldn't singlehandedly attack Eragon, Saphira, _and _Arya. He was good, but he wasn't stupid. So, under the watchful gaze of Saphira, he and Thorn had taken a short flight. Once again, it didn't matter whether she eyed them like a hawk or not. The enormous mountain top was too high to fly out of. He'd lose consciousness long before reaching the top, and Thorn soon after. The only entrance was being guarded by Saphira, who had taken to napping directly in front of the entrance of the tunnel. So they explored on foot.

With the help of Thorn, Murtagh had hiked up several stone shelves until he found a waterfall. The water fell into a small body of water before continuing into a running brook. The waterfall itself came from what seemed to be a larger stream the cave some fifteen feet above the pool. The cave was large and open, and so Thorn settled inside, content to feel the rushing water.

_I'm going to bathe,_ Murtagh told Thorn as he began removing his tunic.

_About time. You were beginning to become one of those smelly humans,_ Thorn chuckled. Murtagh ignored him, beginning to unbuckle his belt when he heard the crunch of dry leaves. Chloe appeared out form under the foliage below them, the white dragon hatchling poised on her shoulders. Chloe hadn't noticed him, and for the first time since they had met her facial features were relaxed. She wasn't looking at anything with a glare, and her mouth wasn't set like it usually was when she was about to say something sarcastic. No, she seemed at ease for once as she sat down cross-legged at the edge of the pool, the white dragon's head still resting on hers.

_They'd make a beautiful fairth,_ Murtagh found himself thinking.

_Now, Murtagh, do not become a lovestruck fool. We have enough concerns at the moment. _Said Thorn. Murtagh whipped around to face Thorn. His eyes where closed, and is head was resting upon his claws. He was quite serious, and he wasn't teasing.

_I merely commented-I have no plans of finding love. I know just as well as you do that we have more pressing matters that need to be dealt with!_

_So you'll bed her and be done with it?_ Thorn asked him as Murtagh turned his attention back to Chloe.

_Bed-_Her_? Thorn, you must study human emotions much more carefully. After your apparent attempt at eating her sister-_

_What, the little pink thing? She shouldn't have wandered so close to a disoriented dragon, now should have she?_

_My point is, _Murtagh said impatiently. _Is that she hates me, and I'm not interested. _

_And that bothers you, that she hates you?_ Thorn questioned, propping one eye open.

_In a way,_ Murtagh admitted. _Not because it's her, but...People have always hated me for who my father was, and now for being the King's rider. Now she hates me for actions were not even my own! People are hard to please. If people spent have the time they did focused on their hatred towards me on the kind, he'd be defeated by now! _

Thorn yawned quietly, closing his eyes once more and resting his head on his front claws again.

_That is why you stopped serving to please other people so long ago, Murtagh. I find that it does not matter what others think. Who should I please other than myself and you?_

_A fine point,_ Murtagh grinned. Murtagh buckled his belt and removed his boots and socks, and then stepped to the edge of the rock shelf. He jumped, his lean body cutting a graceful arc through the air as he dove into the pool of water. He resurfaced, swimming to the shore until he was wading through the low water and reeds. He dropped down next to Chloe, who eyes him in disgust. He shook his hair out, sending droplets flying. She glared.

"My apologies, Chloe. I didn't see you there," he smirked. Chloe sent him a look that told him she didn't believe a word out of his mouth.

"Listen, Chloe, Thorn apologizes for snapping at Ronnie," Murtagh began, unsure of why he was lying about the fact in the first place. Chloe exclaimed a "Ha!" at the same time as Thorn snorted, releasing a plume of smoke from his nostrils.

"Yeah, I'm sure he does," she muttered darkly. Murtagh felt Thorn reach out to the white dragon. The contact was brief, Murtagh could see the hatchling dragon perk up as he was brushed by the older dragon's consciousness. Thorn retreated soon, however.

_There isn't much to say to a hatchling, not until he learns to speak for himself, anyway_, Thorn said in a superior tone of voice.

_He?_

_He_. Thorn confirmed lazily.

"Thorn says your dragon is male," Murtagh said after a few moments. Chloe looked between her dragon and the cave above her in horror, as though horrified at the thought of her dragon conversing with Thorn.

"He had better not teaching him to eat innocent little girls," Chloe told Murtagh in disapproval. Grumbling laughter tumbled out of the cave above them.

_There is nothing innocent about you, little girl,_ Thorn told her. Chloe jumped, startling the white dragon in her lap. While she had felt the brush of her own dragon's consciousness and even communicated with Solembum, Thorn's mind was a complete alien to her.

_What are you implying?_ she asked, or at least hoped she was projecting her thoughts. The dragon didn't answer her.

_Thorn, we should return to the chambers. The others will be waking soon and I'm sure Arya is already looking for an excuse to put an arrow through me, _Murtagh said, standing. Thorn grumbled unhappily, climbing out of the cave and waiting for Murtagh to climb into his saddle. Murtagh paused, smirking to himself as he realized he wasn't the only one currently on Arya's blacklist.

"Until later, then. If you're still alive by the time Arya's through with you." he added, causing Chloe to turn as pale as her dragon.

She made a rude gesture with her middle finger in return.

* * *

CHLOE

"So you're a boy dragon, huh?" She asked the white dragon in her arms. The dragon only blinked at her with round, golden eyes. Then he hopped out of her arms, going to the water's edge.

"Can you swim?" she asked the dragon doubtfully. She felt like she had just been placed in the care of a child with absolutely no prior knowledge of children, which was stupid. She had had to take care of Ronnie a lot when her mother was at work, and even a hatchling dragon had to be more durable than a human child, right? So she watched as her little white dragon dipped a paw in the water. He snapped his jaw excitedly, the look of adorableness slightly marred by the neat rows of deadly teeth. Chloe removed her tunic borrowed from Angela, revealing her own tank top underneath. She waded into the water, turning to the shore and holding her arms open for the dragon.

"C'mon, let's see if you can swim." The dragon cocked his head to the side, watching her briefly. Then he trotted into the water, swimming at ease past her outreached arms. He used his tail as a rudder and his feel to propel himself forward while his angular head cut easily through the water. For a second the dragon disappeared beneath the water and Chloe felt the beginnings of panic, but then he shot up out of the water next to her, splashing her and making her laugh.

"Well obviously you can swim," she said. Trying to put Murtagh's words out of her mind—specifically those concerning the scary she-elf, Chloe swam out into the lake, her dragon next to her. She withstood the freezing water twenty minutes before deciding she was too cold to continue, at which she and her dragon crawled onto the rocky beach, letting the sun dry them. When she knew she couldn't put her doom off any longer, she turned to her dragon.

"You must be hungry, and I have to face the firing squad," she told him, tapping his snout once. But even as intelligent as the dragon seemed to be, Chloe was quite certain he couldn't understand her words. "Okay then, let's try the mind thing," she met the dragon's eyes, which were suddenly locked onto hers.

_Hunger_. She thought in what she hoped was his general direction. _Hunger. _She repeated, this time visualizing the mice. The dragon blinked, and then clambered into her lap, settling into her arms. Figuring that he had understood her, Chloe stood, following the brook she had found a little earlier back to the meeting chambers. The closer she got the more her hands began to shake, and they were so shaky that the dragon in her arms clambered up to her shoulders in agitation.

She took the stone steps into the building slowly, even though she knew she couldn't much prolong the inevitable. With a deep breath she entered the meeting chamber, and Eragon and Arya, the only two present, fell silent. Chloe searched for something to say, but 'good morning' sounded flippant even for her.

"I'd just like to say that I'm really sorry about this. I didn't mean for this to happen. I just, I didn't know what to do ant—" she realized she was making excuses, and began again. "I'm sorry I acted so irresponsibly. I should have come to you, Eragon," Chloe said. Eragon observed her for a long moment and then nodded.

"Your apology is accepted. However, at the moment we have much to discuss. We should begin with the fact that you are now a Dragon Rider. You have become a vital player in the most dangerous game of your life. Losing this game will cost you your life," Eragon said seriously. Chloe froze, disbelief coursing through her. She'd expected many long hours of lectures focused on her stupidity and then a few more of them trying to decide how they could replace her with someone competent enough to be a rider, but instead he had gone straight to scaring the hell out of her with a heavy dose of good old fashioned honesty. Eragon, whether he noticed her current state of panic or not continued.

"Currently the King does not know of your existence. For that, you are extremely fortunate. Until he knows, no one will be sent to hunt you. He will not want you dead. He will want to capture you and force you into servitude like he did Murtagh." Eragon explained.

"Right, but the only people who know about my new friend and me are all here and trustworthy, right?" Chloe said weakly. A knot was forming in her stomach, one that threatened to never dissolve. Suddenly it all seemed very real, real in a way that it hadn't until that moment. Suddenly she was understanding that she would be forced to fight, to kill or be killed. Suddenly she was all too aware of how weak and vulnerable she was. Her grip on the paw at her shoulder tightened.

"Chloe, are you all right? You seem unwell," Eragon said in concern. "Perhaps you should sit," she saw Arya's eyes slant in annoyance, and tried to steady her breathing. But all that ran through her head was, _ohmyGod, ohmyGod, ohmyGOD!_

A presence entered her mind then, soothing her by feel rather than with words. She glanced up at the white dragon on her shoulders gratefully.

"Okay, keep going," She said after a few moments. Eragon glanced at Arya, who didn't spare him a glance. She was standing, unmoving, like a statue. It was clear that her anger was not yet spent.

"Chloe, I _am_ sorry to say this but you do not have many choices. You can join the Varden. But I won't lie to you. It will be dangerous, because joining the Varden will make you an enemy of the King. I suppose you could attempt to flee, but where would you go? Eventually this was would make itself to you, I am sure of it." Eragon said. He knelt down on one knee, taking her hands into his own and locking their gazes. She felt the knot in her stomach dissolve a little more at the genuine sincerity she saw there.

"Chloe, I would not ask this of you if I did not think you capable. With the right training, I am certain you will make a magnificent rider. You dragon would not have chosen you otherwise. I am asking you to help me save these people. You have seen nothing of Alagaësia, but I assure you that the King does not care for his people. Many die, and many are treated with unfairness. What I am asking you may be selfish. This is not your home, and these are not your people. But I impure you to consider joining the Varden." Eragon said. He held her gaze until she looked away. The intensity in his brown eyes was beginning to be a little overwhelming. And so she focused on a pebble on the ground, mind racing as it calculated her few options.

_You could run, and go where? No where. You don't just have a dragon to think about, you also have a mother and sister. You could join the King…and have to fight against Eragon and what sounds like the Light side of the Force. You can join the Varden: learn what you can from them and Eragon about how to live in this world, and make a bargain with them to protect mom and Ronnie. But how can _I_ pull off begin a rider? I'm only coordinated when I do the only thing I'm good at, dancing. And unless that evil king is going to challenge me to a battle of pirouettes, I don't think I stand any sort of chance. Eragon has been doing this for over a year and he still has trouble with Murtagh. I might just be setting myself up for slaughter. _

_But then she thought of all the bad things at home, the poverty, the wars, the injustice. And she had wanted to become a dancer. But maybe there she hadn't had the power to change anything, and here, here she could actually do something to benefit someone other than herself for once. She could be the kind of person her mother was. _

"You're forgetting something, Eragon," Chloe said with a grim smile. "I've got Alagaësian blood in me. I sort of owe you all something, especially since…" she trailed off, looking up at her dragon. She looked again at Eragon.

"I'll do it." Eragon smiled, squeezing her hand once and then standing.

"Your training will begin immediately after I speak to Nasuada. If you'll remember, she is the leader of the Varden, and it will be to her that you will swear fealty to in the Ancient Language." Eragon said. The knot tightened again.

"That's that once oath where I basically give myself up to be controlled by someone else, right?" Chloe said. "Because that sounds a lot like what Murtagh's going through, and it looks like it sucks," Eragon looked up from the goal he was pouring into and shook his head.

"No, this is different. You are willingly taking an oath to serve Nasuada. She is a good person." Eragon told her. Chloe bit her lip.

"You're a good person. How about I swear fealty to you instead and we call it a day?" Chloe asked hopefully.

"That might be unwise, Chloe," he seemed surprised by the suggestion.

"But is it? Is it really? Because I've gotten to know you over the past few days and the traveling in-between worlds thing, but I can safely say that I'v never met this Nasuada person."

"I am sorry, Chloe, but I would not want for that to give the people of the Varden the wrong impression, as though I were attempting to overstep Nasuada's power." Eragon answered. Chloe was about to argue further when she caught Arya's expression. The elf actually seemed to be considering her proposition.

"Eragon," Arya said, speaking for the first time. "What Chloe is suggesting may not be unwise. Think, Eragon. While you have joined Dûrgrimst Ingeitum, and have been taught my people, it is to Nasuada, a human, to whom you have sworn fealty to. While the dwarves and elves may have been expected to have an elf rider, they will once again receive a human one. They will not take kindly to Nasuada having control of the only two free riders outside the King's control," Arya said. Chloe fidgeted uncomfortably at Arya's words, but hoped that hey would be enough to sway Eragon.

"Yep, what she said," Chloe agreed.

"I suppose I see your reasoning," Eragon said slowly as though choosing his words carefully. "But first, we must speak to Nasuada." he turned to the wooden bowl once more, only to again be interrupted.

"What is going on here?" Chloe whipped around to see her mother standing at the entrance of the chamber, her hands on her hips.

_Oh, hell._

* * *

MURTAGH

Murtagh was sitting leisurely in Thorn's saddle when the shouting began. His sensitive ears picked up the sound of Viviana's unmistakable anger.

"YOU DID WHAT? YOU CAN'T GO AROUND SWEARING OATHS TO GOD KNOWS WHO AND YOU MOST CERTAINLY WILL NOT GO ABOUT BECOMING A DRAGON RIDER!"

"Yeah, mom, I know but just hear me out—"

"I WILL NOT! THESE ARE NOT GAMES THEY PLAY HERE! PEOPLE DIE IN WARS!" Even Murtagh knew this was the wrong thing to say with the little time Murtagh had spent around Chloe. He could easily picture Chloe's hands ball up into fists, eyes blazing in anger. When she spoke her volume rivaled Viviana's.

"OH, SO _NOW_ YOU LISTEN TO ME! I _TOLD _YOU THAT THIS WOULD BE DANGEROUS, BUUUUUUT NO! NO YOU HAD TO DRAG US TO ANOTHER WORLD!"

"NOT THIS AGAIN, I THOUGHT WE WERE PAST THIS—"

"PAST THIS? PAST THIS?" He heard Chloe sputter. "HOW THE HELL DO I 'GET PAST THIS'? WE JUST FELL DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE, AAAND NOW GUESS WHAT? I'M ALICE AND I HAVE TO DEFEAT THE JABBERWOCKY!" Murtagh was lost at that point, though he didn't seem to be the only one. There was a pause, then—

"Chloe, I don't understand your nonsense analogies," Viviana said in frustration.

"What I mean to say is, you wanted us here, and now we're here. I'm a dragon rider now, whether you or I like it or not. I don't have much of a choice in the matter," Chloe said, and Murtagh was startled by the change in her ton. She seemed weary, exhausted and…lost. They were emotions he knew all too well, and found that he couldn't link them very well to the vivacious blonde.

"There's always a choice, Chloe." Murtagh heard Eragon say quietly. He rolled his eyes. If anything, there was the choice you were forced into or the choice that got you killed. He didn't consider that much of a choice. Chloe seemed to be thinking the same thing.

"What other choice is there, Eragon? I can't run. I can't join him. I can only learn to defend what I have left." Chloe said with a sigh.

"But Chloe, we came here to be a family again. To find your father." Viviana said weakly. He heard sniffling, and that was when he began to tune them out. He couldn't handle crying, it was one of the things he hated most.

_Let's take a flight, shall we?_ He asked Thorn. Thorn unfurled his wings in answer, pouncing into the air.

_Have you given any thought to changing your true name?_ Thorn asked as they gained altitude. Below them Murtagh saw Saphira lift her head, eyeing them carefully.

_You know I have. But still I haven't found a solution. Eragon's suggestion, I suppose, is valid. Yet how can I change myself to such an extent as to change my true name? I could swear to never again pick up a weapon, but would that change me? And even if it did, then how would that prove useful to me? I would be weaponless. Perhaps if I had more information—_Murtagh paused. While Thorn seemed to be listening to him, he also seemed amused.

_What are you thinking, Thorn? _Murtagh asked suspiciously. Thorn merely laughed, a loud rumbling noise. Instead of answering, he beat his wings more powerfully, climbing higher into the air. He found an indent in the rock walls of the mountain, and alighted. Murtagh slid out of the ornate saddle, walking around to face his dragon. He could sense that Thorn was onto something, and that he was keeping it from him.

_Thorn, what do you know?_ Murtagh asked.

_Turn around, Murtagh. _Murtagh did as told, taking a few steps forward, until he was on the edge of the rock outcropping. He could see the flat, arena like plateau that extended into narrower land on the opposite side of the entrance. There were the chambers that Murtagh could now make out as something of a shapeless building carved out of the mountainside. He could see just about every detail of their side of the dragon hold. It was a small section of the hold, the rest was a forest that stretched towards trees that rivaled Du Weldenvarden, some rising even higher.

_Yes, Thorn, the scenery is exquisite. Care to explain whatever it is you are sitting on? _Murtagh asked, beginning to become annoyed.

_When you stood on the ground, you could not see much. Now, from above, you see so much more. Your surroundings did not change, and neither did you. Only your perspective. Sometimes that is what is needed: a change of perspective, not new information. Take the information that you yourself have and take a step back. While Eragon and the she-elf are thinking of convoluted theories about magic, think differently. Obviously the wild magic is different than the magic you possess, so you cannot apply the same logic. _

_…I have reviewed the information and it seems that I still do understand what you mean,_ Murtagh said. Thorn flicked his tail impatiently, lowering his head down until he could fix a red eye on Murtagh.

_Murtagh, let's not be daft. Let's not overthink things, or worry why they are as they are. Review the facts. You were transported to another world, yes? _

_Earth, yes. _

_There was no magic on Earth, correct? _

_Correct. But I still have no idea how this helps us. _

_It helps us a great deal, Murtagh. When you returned from Earth, you were knocked unconsciously by the rider girl. Eragon then put you to sleep through magical enchantments. I did not think much of this before, because I thought you had planned that yourself to be captured. But reviewing your memories, I see that you had no time to remove the wards that would have prevented your capture. _Thorn finished, pleased with his careful reasoning. Murtagh watched the red dragon for a moment, his excitement growing.

_Eragon was able to place those enchantments upon me not because I didn't have my wards up, but because when I went to the other world magic did't exist, so my wards didn't exist! When I came back, the wards around me where not automatically replaced, because the spell didn't work that way. I would have had to set them around my body and mind again!_

_Meaning that any magical enchantment held over you perished as well. Such as any oath you may have taken, and the usage of your true name. Unless Galbatorix commands you once more, you are currently free. The king has no reason to suspect your freedom as his spells only alert him to when you actively attempt to throw off his control. Experience tells us that, _Thorn admitted grimly. _And once your true name is changed, how will he guess it then? Gifted as he is at figuring out a being's true name, he had years to study you last time. He will no be so fortunate this time. _

Murtagh was speechless by Thorn; time and time again the red dragon astounded him with his reasoning, reasoning Murtagh often thought was years beyond him even as a dragon. He was still something of a hatchling himself, yet he didn't speak like one nor reason like one. It was from his awareness of his own intelligence that Murtagh believed his arrogance stemmed, though he kept that to himself.

_If what you say is true, then Eragon and Saphira and the others cannot know of this. The last thing we need is pressure to join the Varden, and knowing Eragon that will be what he suggests, as a way to repent for our actions. No, we can remain here for now, undetectable and protected by Eragon while we formulate our plans. _

* * *

**Thorn is making sense, and his logic is sound. But is he right, that's the million dollar question. **


	7. Chapter 7: Will and Won't

**Onto chapter 7: one very loaded chapter. **

**!REVAMPED!**

* * *

**Chapter 7: Will and Won't **

CHLOE

It hadn't been exactly easy to convince her mother that there really was no other option than for her oldest daughter who she barely considered an adult woman to join a cause that would require her in it's front lines in war, and to just accept that Chloe was indeed a Dragon Rider. While Viviana hadn't said so in so many words—she had shot them all a withering glare and strode out of the room—Chloe knew that the battle had been won. But she hadn't felt satisfied. If anything, the argument had left her cold. She turned to Eragon, who didn't look too happy, either. He seemed conflicted.

"I suppose I will contact Nasuada now," Eragon said.

"Wait!" Chloe yelped, shifting the shifting the hatchling on her shoulders. He was beginning to become heavy. "Look, I will totally learn whatever you want me to for the—the Varden and as a rider, but could we at least hold up on the oath swearing?" Chloe asked. She saw Eragon frown, and quickly rushed to explain herself.

"It's not that I'm changing my mind, it's just that it occurred to me that it's important for my little guy to get his two cents in as well." Chloe said. "I mean, I know I'd be only swearing for myself, but it would impact him too, right? And it's not like I'm going anywhere. Dragon hold, with it's only entrance guarded by Saphira and all." She added. Eragon looked a little impressed, if not slightly proud.

"I understand and respect your decision. I'm glad you are already beginning to think about your dragon in such a way. Every choice you make will impact it just as much as it does you," Eragon said in approval, and Chloe nearly sighed in relief. She felt as though she had just dodged a bullet. Arya cocked her head slightly to the side as she watched her.

"You referred to the hatchling as male. How do you know?" she asked, and Chloe offered her half smile.

"Thorn, actually. Dragon's a bit of a jerk, but he reached out to him and then told me the news," Chloe explained. Her smile faded as Arya's eyes slanted further. She stepped forward, and Chloe had to bite the inside of her cheeks to keep from quaking in fear at the fierce look she was receiving.

"I will only say this: your actions were not responsible nor intelligent. However, as much as I find myself wishing to time and time again, I cannot change the past. I can only stress your importance to our cause." Arya said. She nodded to both her and Eragon, and then departed the room. _That didn't sound threatening at all,_ Chloe thought sarcastically to herself.

"Right," Eragon said, rubbing his hands together. "As for your training, it will have to be cut short, and will not be complete for some time now. For whatever reason, the King has not begun to mobilize his army as previously expected. We have, after all, begun our direct assault on the Empire, beginning with taking the city of Feinster. Because of this, the Varden have likewise taken a pause so to speak, focusing their efforts on rallying their forces, allies, and trying to intercept any information on the King's newest scheme, whatever it may be. Also because of this, our time for your training is limited. There is also the fact that your dragon hatched mere hours ago, making him too young to be taught that which is immediately necessary." Chloe nodded slowly. _This is waaaay to real. And what is that…is he, is he worried? He so is!  
_"You're worried," Chloe said.

"Worried?" Eragon asked off-handedly.

"No, no, I know! I can see it in your eyes!" she accused. Eragon looked away, sighing.

"Yes, I am worried. Ever since my return nothing has been as it seems. Not only my strange travel to your world, but his," Eragon gestured towards the dragon hatchling. "appearance, Murtagh and Thorn's behavior, and above all, Galbatorix. You see I have never had the displeasure of facing him, yet I cannot pretend that his not taking action against the Varden in retaliation for the territory he has lost to them is not disturbing. Either the King has truly gone mad or he has something terrible up his sleeve. I am not sure which is worse." Eragon told her truthfully. Chloe gulped. There was a bad feeling in her stomach. It made her newly tattooed palm tingle slightly. The riders stood in silence for a few moments, until Eragon shook his head.

"It won't due for you to ponder these thoughts without the proper training and knowledge. Because of our time shortage, I will teach you these topics as swiftly and wholly as I can—

"OHMYGODOHMYGODICANDOMAGICNOW!" Chloe exclaimed. It hadn't occurred to her until now. She blushed as Eragon raised an eyebrow. She cleared her throat, trying to regain her dignity.

"Erm, yes, continue please."

"Right, you will learn history and politics of Alagaësia—including that of the dwarves, elves, and humans as extensively as possible. I suppose of the Urgals as well," Eragon added as an afterthought, leaving Chloe to wonder just what else existed in this world.

"Also, reading, writing, and speaking the Ancient Language, and yes, magic. Swordplay and archery and medical treatments, along with what it means to be a dragon rider. Questions?" Chloe none slowly.

"Yeah, actually, about the whole teenage angst thing?" she said. After much begging, Eragon had consented to let Chloe speak with her sister, whom she felt she hadn't seen in age. So, after a dozen and one promises to return in fifteen minutes to begin her training, Chloe walked towards the room her mother and Ronnie shared. She poked her head in the room, finding Ronnie brushing her blonde curls with a hot pink toy Barbie brush. Stepping into the room, she sat down next to the little girl.

"Hey, kiddo," she said. "There's someone you should meet." said Chloe. Ronnie looked up at her, loud giggles erupting as she pointed to her sisters head.

"Aw, he's so cute! Can I pet him, Coco?" Ronnie asked, already arching a small hand towards the dragon hatchling. Chloe picked up the hatchling off her shoulders and placed him in her lap facing Ronnie, stroking his spine.

"Go ahead! And how did you know it's a boy? Maybe it's a girl dragon she teased. Ronnie shook her head, causing her gold ringlets to bounce.

"Stop messing. I know he's a boy," Ronnie said in a matter of fact tone of voice.

"Why is it that little kids always know everything?" Chloe muttered under her breath. "Wish I could be kid again. Look, Ronnie, I just wanted to say that I'll probably be very busy form now on, because I'm a, well, I'm a dragon rider." Chloe said awkwardly. It felt odd to say out loud, much less to her six year old sister. _I'm a rider. I am a dragon rider. Hello, my name is Chloe and I'll be your dragon rider today. Please state your crisis clearly into the mic._ Yes, it was definitely weird.

"I know know if you know what the means—" Chloe continued, only to be interrupted by Ronnie.

"It means that you're like Eri and Murty. I know." she said easily. "It means your a super hero." Chloe blinked.

"I wouldn't go that far. I'm still just your big, trouble-magnet sister, only now I have a new friend," she said, smiling down at the white dragon in her arms. "You know where mom is?" she asked next.

"She went to go get food with the nice lady, um," Ronnie scrunched up her nose adorably in thought. "With Angela! Yeah, she went with her! She said I had to stay here with Padfoot." she said, nodding to the dog that was watching them lazily form a corner of the room. Chloe hadn't even realized he'd been there.

"Good. Then do as she says and stay here, okay?" she leaned over and kissed her cheek, and then walked over to Padfoot and scratched him behind the ears.

"Watch her," she instructed. He barked once. Satisfied, she left the room, retracing her steps to the meeting room. It was empty, so she tried outside. _Bingo_, she thought grimly. _And so the work begins. _Eragon was perched in Saphira's saddle, and noticed her immediately even though he wasn't facing her. He jumped down lithely from the saddle, waiting for her to come nearer before speaking.

"Chloe, from now on, Saphira and I will be your teachers, your mentors. You will therefore refer to us as Master and Mistress," Eragon said. Chloe fought the urge of laughing at how ridiculous that sounded to her as Saphira snake her head forward, stopping before her. Chloe shivered slightly as an entity touched her mind, different than Solembum and much closer to Thorn and her own hatchling's mind.

_Welcome to our order, rider. I am not interested in the same politics as others may be. To me it matters not whether you are elf or human, only that you were chosen by one of my kind. _Saphira's unblinking sapphire blue eyes bore into hers. _None but a bonded dragon can understand the difficulty of choosing a rider, nor the absolute certainly a dragon feels once they are have chosen. Even the word chosen is not apt; we are less interested in choosing a rider and more in finding the right one. _

_I…thank you_, Chloe said, feeling something akin to relief flood her. She was relieved to find that Saphira, at least, was on her side. The idea of the dragoness opposing her position as a rider was even more frightening than Arya.

_ I will watch your hatchling as you train with Eragon. I am most curious. I have never met another hatchling before. At least, not one that has no been altered in mind and body and twisted against his will. _Saphira admitted.

_Thank you, Mistress Saphira_, Chloe responded. Using the title sounded a lot less funny when she was faced head on with the female dragon. She tentatively reached out to her own dragon, impressing images of the importance of staying near Saphira through a series of images and feelings as she set him down on the ground. He snapped his jaws and scampered over to Saphira's side, and Chloe smiled, obviously having been understood. She turned to Eragon.

"Right, let's to this…master,"

Calling Eragon 'master' might take a little more getting used to.

Chloe had often prided herself in being flexible. While she had had somewhat of a talent for singing, her real passion had been dance. She had joined up with Austin's band only to raise money for dance school. So when Eragon told her that they would begin with the Rimgar, an elven form of yoga, she'd felt confident, ready, even. As expected, the forms were easy for her to follow and easy for her to follow.

What she hadn't realized was that there were other stages to the Rimgar. She watched wide eyed as Eragon contorted his body to impossible shapes. While a thousand dirty jokes popped into her head, not way on how she was to replicate his form reached her. By the end of the Rimgar she had fallen over more times than she cared to count.

"Onto swordplay, I suppose," Eragon said. Chloe could tell that he had been optimistic at the start of the Rimgar, that he had perhaps thought she showed promise, but that optimism was quickly wearing thing. "What experience do you have with a sword?" Eragon asked as Chloe picked herself up off the ground for what she hoped was the final time for the day.

"None, Era—Master Eragon." She answered, quickly correcting herself. Eragon frowned.

"I thought you said that your world had groups of people who did indeed train in such weaponry,"

"Well yeah, but I never said I actually did, did I? It wasn't exactly a skill I would be needing, or thought I would need, anyway. Where I come from, it's more of a hobby than a skill, at least, now a days." she said darkly.

"All right, no matter. I began as clueless as you. Tell me, if someone came at you with a sword, what would you do?" Eragon asked her. Chloe chewed her lips as she pictured his question.

"I would…turn the opposite direction and run like hell," she could have sworn Eragon's eye twitched in response.

"There is a lot you have to learn, Chloe,"

* * *

ERAGON

"Dismissed, Chloe," Eragon said. He tried hard to keep the irritation out of his voice, but he knew he failed as he saw Chloe's facial expression fall.

"Yes Master," She answered dejectedly, walking over to Saphira who had joined them. She bowed to Saphira and then picked up her hatchling, and hurrying away. Eragon watched her leave, sighing.

_I truly hope she comes to her senses. It is clear that while she knows how important she is to us all, she doesn't, well, know. I feel as though she has not yet quite grasped the gravity of her situation. She is…naive. _Eragon said. Throughout their lesson, Chloe had paid attention, yet he felt as though she was nor carrying out his interactions to the best of her abilities. When she answered she did not seem to think, and he was certain she could give a better response than 'run like hell.'

_Then show her. Show her what she means to us all. Show her what it is like to be on elf us. Show her that if she does not learn the skills she must, she will not survive. Show her that she must improve her effort to live in this world. _Saphira said. _Show her…show her through your memories and experiences. She will be much more motivated once she sees the aggression of battle. _Eragon mulled over her words.

_Perhaps…perhaps as a last resort. I will give her a few more days to adjust, but no more. We have no time to spare, and every day I grow less at ease. If there is no improvement I will show her. But I do not wish for those images do discourage her…I will contact Nasuada now, or at least attempt. It seems that every time I try I am interrupted. Then, I will address Murtagh. _

_What will you tell him?_ Saphira asked. Eragon's lips tightened into a thin line as he touched a hand to Saphira's nose.

_There isn't much I can say, I don't think. I think only to present him an ultimatum. To join the Varden or…_

_Or death?_ Saphira prompted. Eragon nodded stiffly.

_Yes. I'd like for him and Thorn to fight alongside us, to redeem themselves. But that option is only an option if they change their true names. And death…death might just be a release._ Eragon said. He didn't like to even think the words, and he knew deep down even he didn't believe them. But in the back of his mind the oath he had sworn, the oath meant to avenge the dwarf king, still lingered.

_Speak to Nasuada, and see what her will is. She might have an answer you and I agree better with. _

_Yes. I will be inside, away from wandering eyes and ready ears._ Eragon said with the slightest glance to Solembum. He was bathing in the sunlight in a near by bush, and though eh didn't appear to be listening Eragon doubted that he could not hear them. Eragon quickly returned inside, magically sealing the door to prevent others from listening in. Then he conjured Nasuada's tent image into the bowl on the table. But instead of his liege's dark visage he was met with two eerily purple orbs.

"Elva," Eragon said, touching his fingers to his lips.

"You are late. Nasuada expected you earlier this morning," the witch-child said in her monotonous woman's voice. Her expression was devoid of any emotion as he studied him.

"Lovely to see you as well, Elva." Eragon smiled. "Tell me, is Lady Nasuada at hand?"

"She has asked me to call her if you were to contact her." she answered. Elva waited for Elva to do as instructed, but she did not. She only continued to observe Eragon in a way that had him want to shift his weight uncomfortably.

"Nasuada is troubled. Something that she will require to do pains her." Elva finally said. Eragon had nothing to reply. He was raking his brain for anything that Nasuada could possibly asked of him that would pain her. Did he want Saphira and him to separate once more? Did she think that because Murtagh could not use magic and she did not know about Chloe that he could return alone to the Varden?

"Thank you for advising me, Elva." Eragon said, hoping she would now call for Nasuada. Still she did not. Instead her brow knitted in worry.

"Eragon, are you near the Varden?" she asked. For the first time Eragon could see emotion in her eyes. They were frighteningly clear: worry and fear.

"Elva…"

"I do not feel at ease. It has been so for days. I cannot sleep well, and I have the most horrid feeling in the pit of my stomach wherever I go, whatever I do. I do not feel safe. Again I ask: are you near the Varden?"

"I am…near enough." Eragon said slowly. Elva's words where stirring a sense of dread within him.

"And yet I do not feel you, so you cannot be close enough. It was better when Angela was here; the feeling was not so strong, not so evident. I could ignore it. But it has only worsened, and I fear that it will nto be better. I am afraid." the witch-child admitted. "Angela is with you, I know. I wish to join you as well." Elva said. Was there a hint of pleading in her voice?

"Elva, I do not see how that would be possible,"

"If you came up with a suitable enough explanation—" Elva's frantic pleading was replaced with her usual emotionless demeanor as a voice interrupted her.

"Elva, who are you speaking with? Is That Eragon? You should have contacted me immediately!" Nasuada exclaimed as she hurried over. Elva threw him one last meaningful look before retreating out of his sight.

"Nasuada," She greeted.

"Thank you, Elva. If you return to your tent you should find that a maid has brought you a meal. One of the guards will take you." Nasuada said. There was no answer, only the sound of her moving away, and Nasuada couldn't help but be surprised that Elva had gone without complaint. She usually complained about her escorts, yet this time she had not breathed a word. Deciding that the mood swings of a child were less important, Nasuada turned her attention to her rider. Eragon thought she appeared nervous, an emotion he generally did not associate with her.

"Hello, Eragon. I hope—oh, I know that look. What have you done now?" Nasuada asked, sighing despite herself. Eragon immediately became defensive.

"I have done nothing."

"Perhaps not, but that look says that you were around when events of great magnitude that may or may not have been influenced by yourself or Saphira occurred. So which is it?" Nasuada asked.

"There is no easy way to say this, and I am nor certain that there are any words that would ease the shock of what I am about to tell you, so I will not beat around the bush. Chloe has now become a dragon rider." Eragon said. Nasuada's usual poise was disrupted as the hand propping up her chin slipped.

"Chloe? The daughter of the woman who took you in during your time in the other world?"

"The very same," Eragon agreed grimly, and he launched into an explanation of the previous hours. By the end of his explanation Nasuada looked annoyed more than anything.

"Magic," She cursed. "I still do not see how this is possible. This Crystal, is it some live entity?" she asked. Eragon shook his head as a rueful smile spread across his lips.

"I do not believe the Floating Crystal of Eoam is an ally to be gained, Nasuada. It seems more an old magic, not an entity that we can reason with."

"Ah, of course not," She sighed. "How does she—Chloe—how does she seem to you? Does she seem fit for the role?" Nasuada asked. Eragon did not hesitate, though he chose his words with care.

"Obviously, Chloe has some quality that attracted her dragon enough for him to hatch for her. She is kid, and although stubborn, she seems willing enough to learn. Her skills need improvement, but I don't doubt that with proper motivation she won't succeed." Eragon said.

"Another dragon rider…" Nasuada shook her head, burying her face in her hands. It was only around Eragon that she felt comfortable enough to let down her guard. "And she will swear fealty to the Varden?" Nasuada asked. Eragon shifted.

"She has agreed to, but only after she has met you and her hatchling has grown so that he may have a say in the matter. I cannot argue against her logic." Eragon said. Nasuada considered him for a moment before nodding.

"Of course. We are fortunate that her existence is unknown." Eragon could see that her mind was racing, but rather than try to attempt to explain the impossible—just _how _there was a new rider—she was more focused on the fact that there indeed was a new rider.

"Another thing," Eragon said hesitantly. "I plan on speaking to Murtagh once our conference is finished." he said, and he could have sworn that he saw her eyes flash guiltily.

"Eragon, I must stop you there," Nasuada said. "King Orrin and I have discussed the matter, and have decided that the best course of action is to have Murtagh on our side." she said. Eragon was about to nod in agreement but she continued.

"That begin said, I want you to learn his true name once he changes it." she said. Eragon stared at her uncomprehendingly.

"You are asking me to, once Murtagh changed his true names, to learn it to use it against him? That is near impossible, and not to mention wrong. I know his actions just as well as anyone, but I still think there is something of him to be saved, both of him and Thorn." Eragon said unhappily.

"Galbatorix did it, and you once before with Sloan. You can do it again." Nasuada said quickly. Eragon could fear anger simmer from deep within him, anger he hadn't felt since Murtagh's betrayal.

"Galbatorix has had decades to perfect the art of guessing true names, besides knowing Murtagh all his life. Besides, Sloan was a lucky guess, and he was a man whom I had known all my life. The circumstances were different."

"Eragon, think about this! If we had control over Murtagh, and you trained Chloe to become a fit rider, how would Galbatorix stop us? He would be hard pressed against three riders. The balance of power would be indubitably tipped in our favor!" Nasuada argued. "I don't like it much more than you do, but we are at war, Eragon."

"This is madness!" Eragon exclaimed, slamming his fist down on the stone table. The water on the basin rippled with the force of his blow. "If I were to even do such a thing, I would also have to guess Thorn's true name, otherwise there would be no third rider. Even so, I will do no such thing. If we force Murtagh into serving us, we will be no better than Galbatorix." Eragon said angrily. Nasuada was beginning to lose patience, he could see. He vaguely wondered if it had anything to do with her own feelings towards Murtagh. Eragon had always suspected she'd grown fond of him during his stay in Farthen Dur.

"We are at war," she repeated. "Not everything is as we choose."

"I. Am. Not. Him." Eragon said through gritted teeth.

"No one is saying you are. You are a more honorable than the mad king in a thousand and one ways, but you must be reasonable. To let an opportunity like this slide by? What else do you expect of me? Even if we did not have a new rider on our side, when will Chloe and her dragon be ready? Not soon enough. It is what it is, and unfortunately this is how it must be." Nasuada said. Eragon shook his head.

"No. No this is a mistake. It is more likely that we will gain an enemy than an ally. Any trust he may have had in us will be destroyed in this act." Eragon said. He had a bitter taste in his mouth, and there was a slight tingling to his right palm that he scratched at absentmindedly.

"And to set him free? You've told me time and time again that he must be punished for what he has done, and this decision is not merely on whim! Think, Eragon! He murdered Hrothgar, and the dwarves are not expecting anything less than death for him, nor do most of the Varden. You yourself swore an oath."

"I know," Eragon snapped. Nasuada's features softened.

"I understand that he is your brother. But do you really think that he would choose death over this, if given the choice?"

"Yes." Eragon answered without pause. "If there is anything that I still know about him, it's that he would not want to be controlled again. He would view this as the ultimate act of betrayal." Nasuada made a sound of impatience.

"Why do you insist that? He has no reason to trust us yet, and you make it seem as though we are stabbing him in the back! Let me remind you that he is our prisoner of war," Nasuada said firmly.

"Perhaps he has no reason to trust us now, but surely there is a part of him that wants to trust us. He must long for some sort of friendship or, or—"

"You let your own feelings mar logic, Shadeslayer. Murtagh's priority is survival, not friendship, I am sure. That is why you must learn his true name." Nasuada commanded. Eragon grimaced as he fought to say no, but he could feel himself nod and his tongue betray him.

"Yes, Lady Nasuada."

"I really wish this could have gone a different way, Eragon—" Eragon held up a hand to stop her.

"Do not, do not say that as thought your words bring me comfort, because they do not. But I do have a request, Lady Nightstalker," Eragon said. He didn't care to use her name now. He saw her eyebrows lift, though whether at his request or sudden formality he was not sure.

"This request, Shadeslayer?"

"I request to have Elva sent to the dragon hold. I you have her escorted to Aberon, Angela can retrieve her." The surprise on Nasuada's face was evident.

"Why Elva? She is useful to me, that is when she volunteers her services to the Varden."

"If I am to discover Murtagh's true name, Elva may be useful to me." Was all Eragon said in response. The minutes lapped, until the Varden leader answered with a stiff nod.

"Very well. I will have one of Du Vrangr Gata escort her to Aberon, if she allows it. I must say that I am not certain whether or not Elva will agree; I don't know if you stand in her good graces or not. Especially as of late. She comes and goes as she pleases, offering her help some days and others not." Nasuada said with a tired sigh.

"Then perhaps I should learn her true name next, so that then she won't pose a problem." Eragon said sarcastically. He knew he was out of line, but at the moment he could care less, angry as he as. Nasuada's eyes flashed.

"That is enough, Eragon. Whether you like it or not you have been given a task that you must carry out."

"So I have lost more than my will in this matter? Now I have also lost the freedom to express myself." He briefly looked up to see Arya enter the room, curiosity clear in her continence.

"Arya is here to speak to you now. Good day, My Lady," Eragon said, striding past the elven princess and departing the room.

* * *

MURTAGH

_You know, the more I think about it, the more I think we should leave one we are free_. Murtagh said as he tossed a dead rabbit in the air in front of Thorn. Thorn's head jabbed forward, snapping up the morsel. The dragon then turned his head to the side as he considered his rider.

_Oh?_

_Yes, I mean think about it. Galbatorix has clearly lost it, seeing as he has no immediate plans concerning us—_

_Feeling neglected, are you?_ Thorn asked dryly. Murtagh ignored the comment.

_—And you and I both suspect he's dabbling in stranger and darker magics than Shades. I see nothing to keep us here._ Thorn pretended to think about it for a moment.

_Yes, and excellent idea, Murtagh. Becoming cowards will truly be a wondrous way of changing our true names. Why didn't I think of that before?_ Murtagh gnashed his teeth together.

_Not cowardice, self preservation. Neither of us asked for any of this._

_I suppose that is also true. Neither of us owe anyone anything. It would be easy to leave. _Thorn agreed. Murtagh nodded in satisfaction as he turned to leave. They were standing just outside of the chambers that Eragon and his company had taken residence in, and Murtagh had an idea he needed to set into motion.

_And yet I do not wish to leave quite so soon after that. The thought makes my scales itch. _

_Does it now?_ Murtagh asked as he turned back to Thorn.

_Yes. I would very much like to, say…set fire to the King's army, tear apart his castle with took and claw and flame. As foolish as the idea seems it is oddly…satisfying. I would only wish to see expression, and that of Shruiken's. _

Murtagh stared at Thorn for a moment, and then doubles over laughing.

_Thorn, are we feeling rebellious?_

_Yes I suppose I am. _The red dragon agreed very seriously. _Quit laughing, this is not a laughing matter. I haven't even mentioned yet what I would like to do with him. There are very few things I should thank him for, namely very few of his 'gifts'. _Murtagh snorted.

_'Gifts'. Blasted 'gifts'…as two sided as coins. Curses and blessings, all in one…speaking of which, when do you think Eragon will question us about the whereabouts of the Eldunayra? Surely they have crossed his mind._

_I am quite certain that they have, and I am certain he'll ask us, or rather, you, soon enough._ Thorn chuckled. _Not that it will matter. What information we have we have specifically been ordered not to surrender. _

_True. That won't please him at all,_ Murtagh said, smirking at the prospect of Eragon's unhappiness. _And because he believes that I am under oath, he will not pry for the information too much, hopefully. Eragon is weak when it comes to these matters. He will not implore any harsh methods to remove knowledge from me._

_Perhaps if you began by showing him some brotherly affection, your true name would change. _Thorn said slyly. He received a glare in return.

* * *

ARYA

"Lady Nasuada, if you do not mind my asking, what has been said that has angered Eragon so?" Arya asked as she gazed into the water-filled basin. Nasuada sighed, and Arya could see regret clearly in her eyes.

"Eragon and I have had a certain…disagreement of sorts. I gave him a task to complete, and he is against it. Of course, his oath prevents him from acting against my order." Nasuada explained.

"I see. And this task?" Nasuada considered her for a moment, and then sighed again.

"Eragon will tell you anyway, I am sure. Perhaps you can talk sense into him. He values your opinion, always has. I told him that once Murtagh has changed his true name to learn it and use it to make certain Murtagh will be on our side of the conflict. Eragon was not pleased." Arya raised an eyebrow.

"I am not surprised. Eragon values free will highly, and he may say many things but he does not hate Murtagh." Nasuada asked. Arya thought for a moment.

"In a world of black and white, Murtagh is in the grey. He has been manipulated and controlled by Galbatorix, yet there are other actions of his that I cannot condone. In many ways we must thank him. He has saved my life, and Eragon's, and perhaps even Saphira's, if not her sanity, in Gilhead and again on our way to the Varden. He fought alongside us in Tonjheim." Arya reminded.

"Yes, and then during the Battle of the Burning Plains he slew Hrothgar."

"He did indeed." The elf princess agreed. "An act few might consider forgiving of him. But to use his true name in such a way…I think we would be creating an even greater enemy. If he could escape the grasp of the Mad King's, then why not ours? What would stop him form exacting his revenge then?" Arya asked.

"Eragon said much the same. I shall continue to ponder the matter. I have time, for now, anyway. Murtagh will take some time to change his true name, and I will see if I can change my mind and that of King Orrin. I make no promises." Nasuada warned. Arya dipped her head in acknowledgment, and Nasuada nodded, moving along their conference.

"Now, as for the supplies sent by the Queen…" They discussed the supplies sent from the elves, and the condition of the army for a while longer before Nasuada had to excuse herself. Arya ended the connection, moving at once to find Eragon. It didn't take long to find the still fuming rider.

"Have you seen Angela?" I cannot find her or Viviana anywhere," Eragon said. His tone of voice was still sharp, and he had clearly not yet grasped his emotions fully.

"Eragon, Nasuada has told me of what you spoke." Arya said quietly. Eragon's eye's stopped their search to meet her own. There was something slightly accusatory in them.

"And I suppose you think she's is right? Because I do not. This is wrong." he said flatly. Arya ran her eyes over his human-elven features, his brown hair and warm eyes. Faolin had had much the same strong view on free will.

"I do not hate Murtagh, nor do I like him. I do not feel much of anything towards him. He is merely an opponent, one who is currently at our mercy. He has both saved my life and endangered it. If anything I…pity him." Arya admitted. "And more so Thorn. But my feelings do nothing to dispel your orders. Do what you can, and perhaps Nasuada will change her view on the matter. At the moment she is feeling incredibly lost, and with her position I cannot blame her distress. She feels as though what little control she had before is slipping; you are away from the Varden, and an unsworn rider has been born. When I told her I would have to relate news of Chloe to Islanzandi I could see how uneasy the thought made her." She set a hand on his shoulder.

"I am sorry that you have been placed in such a position. Atra du evarìnya ono varda, Eragon finiarel." She said before moving away.

"And as for Angela, she journeyed outside with Viviana for a greater range of herbs, spices, and fruits than the inside had to offer." Arya called over her shoulders. She heard Eragon curse, and a smile ghosted acro shed lips as she imagined the look of irritation she knew must have crossed his features.

* * *

**So the big question: Is Murtagh as free to change his true name as Thorn thinks he is? And if he is, why is Eragon's oath still in place?**


	8. Chapter 8: Chloe's Chapter

**The One Originally Written After I Met Christopher Paolini **

**or, not so simply:**

**Chapter 8: A Promise, A Name, And A New Appreciation For Art **

**Or, even, Chapter 8: Chloe's Chapter**

**!REVAMPED!**

* * *

CHLOE

"How's training going?" Chloe looked up from her bowl of soup to her mother's questioning eyes. Chloe have always wanted the same captivating eyes as her mother. Instead she had inherited her father's dull grey ones.

"Chloe?" Viviana prompted softly. She was still set against her daughter becoming a dragon rider, but Chloe knew that she was trying to make an effort to maintain their relationship as it was.

"Training is…fine." Chloe finally answered, tone horribly monotonous as she lifted another spoonful of soup into her mouth. It was cold from her eating so slow, and had probably tasted better when it had been warm. It was a mixture of roots and spices that Angela was teaching Viviana to pick. Viviana watched her worriedly for a moment until Chloe sighed in exasperation, tossing her wooden spoon onto the stone table with unnecessary force.

"You know what? No it's not. I'm completely horrible at all of this stuff. I can't fight, I can't say the right things, and I still haven't been able to do any magic. I'm failing him, I know I am. Eragon is—" Chloe stopped, taking in deep, unsteady breath. "I don't know what's wrong with Eragon. For the past few days he's been so impatient and in a black mood all the time. I know he's trying to teach me and begin patient isn't easy, but something has gotten under his skin, and I have no clue what. I don't even think it's my suckish skills at being a rider anymore," Chloe said with a bitter laugh.

"Love, I'm sure it'll work out. You're a good girl. You can do anything you set your mind to. I understand this is overwhelming for you. But I know you can do this. You just have a block in here," Viviana tapped Chloe's head lightly with a finger. "You need to believe you can do this, or then you will fail."

"But what if I do fail?" Chloe whispered, trying to keep the her tears in their proper place: out of sight. "Mom if I fail, it's not just me. You remember the little white dragon that started all of this in dragon rider business? Well I've got him too. If he—" Chloe stopped as her breathing hitched and the tears threatened to spill down her cheeks. She blinked rapidly, trying to hold them back.

"I should go. I need to practice my swordsmanship or whatever." Chloe said, hastily standing up. Viviana watched her sadly.

"I love you, Chloe." Viviana said. The concern was evident even in her voice. Chloe offered her a shaky smile.

"You too," she said, before quickly leaving the room. She follow the stone hallway to the outside, and then retraced her steps to what she had begun to refer to as the Training Glade or the Mini Arena of Death. Eragon had yet to arrive, so she picked up one of the old swords leaning against a tree where she had left it the day before. Angela had picked them up along with a few other supplies from wherever the hell she had been before. Chloe hadn't bothered herself with the details. The swords were battered and dull, and Chloe had been weary of having to actually use one against Eragon. It turned out that her concern had been unfounded. The blades could be blocked by magic, something Eragon didn't even do. She's seen why after their first lesson. He was fast and skilled enough that she never even came close to actually hitting him, though she had received quite a few bruising blows by the flat of his blade. She'd been careful to hide those form her mother.

Picking up the blade, she eyed it critically. In theory, swordplay didn't seem all that difficult. She thought it was something that she might even start to like, until she had to actually use it against people to defend her life. And while Eragon had praised her footwork—a skill that stemmed from her long years of dancing—his praise had turned mocking as he instructed her to stop dodging his blows and actually attack back. Because that was what she tended to do; side step and duck his blows, parry a few, and dance out of the way of the rest, much to Eragon's frustration.

Taking in a deep breath, she recalled the moves that Eragon had been teaching her since her lessons started three days ago. Basic blocks and thrusts, nothing fancy. Finally ready, she took her stance at the center of the clearing. Slowly at first, she ran throughout the motions. Thrust, block. Thrust, block. Her movements began to flow together, and her swings picked up speeds as an imaginary foe began to take form before her. She blocked, thrust, and then blocked again. Parry, duck, sidestep, disarm. She pivoted and she was standing before the same tree that the two swords had been leaning against, only now the second sword was gone. Just as she heard Eragon's voice in her head (figuratively) telling her never to let her guard down, she spun to her left, and then brought her sword up to block an imaginary blow out of instinct. Only it wasn't imaginary, and the sound of metal against metal rang through the clearing as strain from the unexpected blow shot up Chloe's arm. Her dark haired opponent smirked.

"What the hell are you doing, Murtagh?" Chloe asked in surprise.

"I have seen you train. You do fine until you begin to doubt your abilities. You execute a motion well enough—for a novice student—but just when you start to string them together you fall apart. You are not confident enough in your abilities," Murtagh said with a shrug as though he were commenting on the whether.

"Shut up, Murtagh," Chloe warned, shoving his sword away with a push of her own. She began to walk away, only to freeze as Murtagh's blade appeared in front of her.

"Ah, ah, ah," Murtagh said, smirking once more. "I can't let you go that easily," he said. Then his smirk disappeared as he barked, "Defend yourself!" he whipped his sword towards himself, only to stab back at her. She knew the move; Eragon had shown her the exact parry to counteract it, but Chloe spun to the side instead at the last moment, unsure. She tried to evade most of Murtagh's sword thrusts, blocking a few with the flat of her blade. But she never attacked.

"There are times when you must attack, Chloe!" Murtagh instructed as she moved away from another one of his blows. She shrieked as his sword flew through the air where her head had been just a moment ago. She froze alongside Murtagh as she reached a hand a hand to her cheek. A thin crimson line was there, nicked from a chip on Murtagh's sword. She moved further up to her hair, eyes widening. Murtagh was fighting laughter.

"You did not just cut my hair!" she screeched as she fingered the severed lock. The smug look set her off. She jabbed her sword forward, resuming their fight. Not that they were exchanging blows. _Whoa, I'm doing it?_ She suddenly realized to herself. She faltered, and Murtagh easily knocked her sword out of her hands, advancing so that one boot was over her blade. Chloe stumbled backwards and tripped, landing hard on her backside.

"You doubted yourself," Murtagh informed her as he offered her his hand.

"You just tried to kill me." Chloe spot as she slapped his hand away and pulled herself up.

"If I wanted to kill you, make no mistaken you would have been dead already." His confident smirk disgusted her.

"Was there a point to any of this, or were you just bored and thought that antagonizing me would be fun?" Chloe asked. She knew he was right. Hell, he didn't need magic or a weapon to kill her if he wanted her dead. His bare hands sufficed, what was of course if his stupid, arrogant smirk didn't do her in first. And boy was it close. No, it wasn't the fact that he was so capable of killing her that made her angry. She doubted he'd lay a hand on her here, in the dragon hold. And she didn't think he was the type to killed for the sake of killing. It was that he could see right through her that bothered her.

"Yes, actually, I did have a point to make. You can do all of this—" Murtagh gestured vaguely around them. "You are your only obstacle. If you would just—" Murtagh began, but Chloe shook her head furiously.

"Would you stop that?" she demanded. "All of you! You all keep saying I need to believe in myself and that if I do I can do anything I want. Well did any of you consider that maybe I just can't? I can't? I can't, I CAN'T, okay? I just…can't." She said. She turned to leave. "Just do me a favor and leave me alone, all right?" She called over her shoulder.

"Of course. Your wish is my command, princess. Next time I see Galbatorix, I will be sure to pass the message along." Murtagh called out from behind her. Chloe turned around, flashing a rather rude hand gesture at Murtagh. It didn't look like Eragon was showing up any time soon anyway.

Without conscious thought, her feet began to take her to her waterfall, the one that she had discovered on her fist day at the hold.

_Where is Moony?_ Chloe thought to herself. He had taken to hunting small rodents and then coming to find her when he was finished eating, curling up next to her. As he licked his paws clean she would talk to him, and though he couldn't answer with words she knew he listened attentively, and she couldn't help the rush of contentment that flew through her at the importance he could see him give her in his gold eyes. His unofficial name was Moony, something that he hated. But it gave her a small dose of comfort, and so he tolerated it.

_Moony!_ She called out with her mind. She was much more confident in that ability, and no longer felt she would lose herself outside of her body. Not to mention she liked the privacy it allowed her with her dragon hatchling. She felt her companion's presence, and she looked to her left to see the white dragon padding beside her. She smiled down fondly at him.

"D'you eat already?" she asked. The feelings she received were affirmative. Chloe tickled the back of the dragon neck. He snapped his jaws playfully at her, and then squealed excitedly and dived into the water. Chloe laughed at him, her anger with Murtagh settling in the back of her mind. She sat, content to watch the little white dragon swim through the water, jaws snapping excitedly at passing fish. Suddenly he stopped, methodically using his paws to stay afloat in the water.

"Something catch your eye?" she asked out loud. The dragon dived quickly under the water without bothering to answer her with some any sort of brush of the mind. Chloe rolled her eyes as she watched the spot where the little dragon had dived.

Ten seconds passed.

Fifteen, and Chloe began to feel uneasy.

Twenty seconds and Chloe reached out frantically with her mind, alarm spreading through her as she felt the barest thread of a connection between them.

"Damn it," She hissed, kicking off her boots and rushing into the water. She dove after her dragon, and was immediately engulfed in the icy depths of the water. She struggled against the instinct to shut her eyes against the raw coldness that stung her eyes. She allowed herself to skink deeper into the water, eyes scanning the increasingly darkening water. She realized that the small lake was much deeper than she had originally thought, and that it resembled more of an abnormally large well as the earth around her was lined by flat stone bricks. Just as she reached the bottom of the murky pool, her eyes caught sight of a ghostly white snake poking from in between a pair of rocks. _Not a snake, a dragon's tail! _She realized.

Both puzzle and relieved, Chloe was finally able to acknowledge the burning pressure in her lungs. So she swam upwards until her head broke free of the surface, and he took in a deep breath, diving once more, prepared to help her little dragon from wherever it was stuck. Chloe swam down to where he had been, but she couldn't spot him. Panic overtook her once more as she swam towards the spot where he had been just moments before, and she began patting at the rock frantically, trying to find the small indentation that he must have swum into.

There was nothing, until her arm shot through the rock unexpectedly, and her arm was buried to her shoulder in the rock, or lack thereof.

_What the hell?_ She thought to herself as she felt around the gap in the rock. It was and dark enough to be overlooked by the eye as mere rock, yet large enough for an infant or lithe human body to swim through. Chloe carefully pulled herself into the space, wincing as the rock scratched at her bare arms and the same cheek Murtagh had cut. She kept her arms out in front of her to prevent herself from swimming headlong or face first into anymore rock. She was stunned to realize that she was in something of an underwater tunnel. Fear twisted her gut, for both herself and her dragon. She either had just enough air to swim back, or to hopefully find her dragon _now_.

A slight encouraging warmth brushed against her mind, alleviating her forming headache. With determination, Chloe pushed forward. She hadn't been swimming for much longer before the tunnel opened up, and she instinctively swam for what she hoped was the surface.

With a gasp, Chloe inhaled a lungful of air. If possible, the underwater cavern—for that's what she assumed it was—was even darker than the water she had just swum through. She couldn't tell if the air was warm or cold as her body had gone worryingly numb, and the only sounds in the cavern came from the sloshing water against the cavern walls and her own teeth chattering in between her labored breaths. There was a squeal and a splash, and then she was being nudged by the unmistakable scaly snout of a dragon hatchling. She set a trembling hand on his back, allowing him to guide her through the water in the opposite direction she had been facing. She felt what seemed like an elevated floor or rock, and pulled herself onto it. She lied there for a moment, groaning from the stiffness in her muscles even as her body trembled. When she had regained herself a little, she pushed herself to her feet cautiously, just in case the ceiling was low. It seemed that it wasn't, and once she reached full height she stretched her arms out. She couldn't touch the ceiling. At her feet, she felt her hatchling wrap himself around her leg like a cat.

She wished more than anything for warmth right now, for fire. But how would she create a fire without wood or even a flint to start a spark? She was reminded all too well of the overwhelming darkness she had experienced arriving to this world. Pushing those thoughts away from her mind, she tried to recall instead the words of the Ancient Language that Eragon had used to summon the werelights, but then she realized that she couldn't remember the exact pronunciation. Deciding that she would rather live than be drained of life, she discarded the idea. Unsure whether it was instinct or fatigue or some unknown third factor, she commanded, "Brisingr!" Her voice rang strongly throughout the cavern in confident echoes, and flames erupted along the walls around her. Chloe felt her already weak energy drop alarmingly fast, and she swayed in place for a moment. The unexpected magic had drained her even more than the swim into the cavern. She staggered over to one of the flames on the walls, which she quickly learned were actually lit torches. She squeezed the water out of her hair, and then unhooked one of the heavy torches from its bracket in the rock wall. She took another deep, steadying breath, and then slowly turned to face the ret of the cavern.

_Obviously someone was once here to have put the torches, but the tunnel… the way its shaped, _Chloe thought. _It seems too perfect to be natural…_ The tunnel and torches reminded her a lot of the tunnel they had all used to reach the Dragon Hold. Some sort of backdoor, then? In case of emergencies? _No, it would be too small to be used like that. The elves were lithe, sure, but the human riders were surely burlier than could fit. I barely made it through. And the dragons? Ha! As if they could fit, and their riders wouldn't leave them behind. So what the heck is this place? _With her dragon at her heels, Chloe proceeded forward carefully, her torch held out in front of her. She noticed the cavern walls slowly transition from rugged to smooth seamlessly into a perfect tunnel, confirming her belief that magic had been present.

It almost slipped past her, and she did a double take to make sure she had really seen it. Chloe walked closer to the wall, touching the chilled stone. Only it wasn't stone, or at least not the stone that it was before. Her fingers glided over smooth tile that was nearly the same color as the wall. She'd only spotted it by the glint it cast by the torchlight. She turned, realizing that a sprawling mosaic was set into the cavern wall, stretching out further into the tunnel. She glanced down at her hatchling, who seemed just as curious and intrigued.

The images were breathtaking. Incredibly realistic pictures made of precious stones and gems came together to form what seemed like a live and moving picture. At first there was only countryside; rolling plains willed with gorgeous flowers that gave way to a tall forest; a great sandy desert became a flowing sea that rose into mountains that reached into the sky. The farther she walked, the more intricate the mosaic became. Suddenly she spotted great beast composed of rubies, sapphires, and gold every other precious metal and gem she could think of.

"Dragons," she breathed. She recognized them, yet she did not. They held not the same composed form that Saphira and Thorn possessed. They were wild and untamable; their eyes held no compassion for their prey. Impressive jets of fire spewed from their cavernous jaws, engulfing that which stood in their path. Then, just as suddenly, the mosaic changed. There were thin figures, all carved beautifully. Men and women, some with hair of silver, others with hair of onyx took shape. They danced across the cave walls, joyous smiles lighting their faces. Even carved from stone the elves where graceful, and Chloe was certain she could hear their melodious laughter ring through the cavern, but she couldn't bring herself to look away from the mosaic to see if she was truly alone with her dragon.

Once more the mosaic changed. The image of a forest clearing came into view, a ruby dragon hatchling in the center. A surge of affection flowed through Chloe at the sight. The red hatchling. She was about to move into the next picture scene when a prickle of unease filled her. She studied the mosaic closer, until her nose was nearly pressed against the rubies that made up the hatchling. Was that…fear that carved in the hatchlings eyes? Unease drifted into dread inside of her. No, this couldn't be…

It was evident in the next scene. The dragon hatchling was backed against a tree, fear clear as daylight in her golden eyes. Before her stood a young elf, a spear at hand.

No…

But it was too late. Her eyes had slid onto the scene after, unable to block the image of the black haired elf as he stabbed at the hatchling. There was a pained wail that echoed in the cave, and Chloe was surprised to find that it came from her. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she continued to gaze at the mosaic killing, unable to tear her eyes away. It seemed that the image had come alive, and repeatedly the elf stabbed, and repeatedly the hatchling cried as she sobbed. She wasn't sure how long she and her baby dragon lay there until she finally willed herself to stand, to continue the story.

She wished she hadn't.

War, death, and destruction stretched its ugly claws across the next scenes. It never seemed to get better. Dragon deaths. Elf deaths. The young. The old. No one was spared. Both races fought brutally, killing many but saving none. The dragons and elves were each too strong for the other, not to be bested. So many perished. Chloe could feel her strength ebbing away, the images sapping her will to continue, her will to live as her eyes took in the mosaic. Abruptly the bloody scenes came to a halt and she found herself studying a forest of emerald, jade, malachite, and jasper. In the center of a clearing, was a hatchling. But this hatchling was different, much different from the ruby female she'd seen before.

Because on the cavern wall was a mirror image of her own dragon. White scales that glittered like snow, the same curled talons. She knew this time, without hesitation, that this dragon was male.

That this was Bid'Daum, the first bonded dragon.

The dragons could have been twins, their only difference in eye color. Where her companion's eyes shown gold, Bid'Daum's were a piercing silver. Bid'Daum's eyes were even arched in the same manner of curiosity as it studied the world around him. Only now the dragon was curiously observing a young silver haired elf. This elf, unlike its kin from the previous clearing, held no spear, only a look of curiosity as to rival that of the dragon hatchling. The first Eragon, she knew.

Chloe's spirit lifted over the next few scenes. She felt as though she were watching a movie. She looked on eagerly as the hatchling and young elf met what followed next needed mo words to convey itself. The pair simply became friends, yet their bond was of a complexity never before seen. It was a bond that Chloe only now was beginning to understand. She saw time passed as Bid'Daum grew, and Eragon taught him the Ancient Language until the dragon could recognize the words and their meaning. Their haphazardly thrown together method of communication was not perfect; often the two misunderstood each other. But they strove to understand each other. Finally came the scene when Bid'Daum and Eragon flew together. They left their peaceful clearing, flying to meet the rage and carnage created by the elves and dragons alike. Chloe held her breath as the wards ceased, Bid'Daum and Eragon becoming ambassadors of their races. Slowly an agreement was formed, and thus the Dragon Riders were established.

The mosaic continued , showing prosperity among the races. Later, once they had arrived, the humans were added to the Dragon Rider pact. Peace to the land. A chill crept up Chloe's spine as she saw a handsome rider, a human, ride upon a dark amethyst dragon into wild, untamed lands. She watched in horror as they were attacked, and the dragon slain by large, brutish creatures. The lone rider, deranged with loss, returned to the Riders, begging for another dragon. He was denied, and Chloe watched as he was depicted plotting. With the help of another Rider the mad Rider stole another dragon egg, and with dark magic he forced it to hatch for him. The next scened made Chloe sick to her stomach.

War again as once more she watched dragons murdered along with their human and elven counterparts. She saw Galbatorix's rise to power, the destruction of the Dragon Rider island, Vroengard. A golden dragon and his Rider betrayed and attacked by fellow riders. They managed to escape, though seriously wounded. A sapphire dragon eerily similar to Saphira was killed as she and her Rider fought against a Rider and his red dragon, who was just as smilier to Thorn. The blue Rider nearly killed himself exacting revenge on the red Rider and his dragon. She saw a party of three elves attacked, the only survivor a raven haired beauty whom Chloe recognized was as Arya. She was fleeing through a burning forest, clutching a sapphire blue egg in her hands as her enemies pursued her.

But the mosaic didn't stop there. The little stones, metals, and gems continued to flow together to create whom she recognized to be Eragon—the Eragon she knew today. But his ears were not yet pointed, and he lacked grace. She followed him in his journey as a budding Dragon Rider, of how he trained with Brom and met Murtagh. Brom's death, Murtagh's indispensable help, finding Arya and then the race to the Varden. The battle of Farthen Dur…everything that Eragon had explained to her days ago, she now saw for herself. But then the mosaic conjured up an impossible image. Because there, clearly depicted on the cavern wall, was Chloe herself with her hatchling's white egg.

"Impossible…" she trailed off in disbelief. "This just can't be," she whipped around, half expecting someone to be behind her, watching her, casting magic. But there was no one there. She carefully did as Eragon had instructed her, casting her mind about for signs of a presence. But she and her hatchling were alone, and the only other energy she could feel seemed to be emanating from the expansive mosaic._ I think we're the first to be here in a very long while,_ Chloe realized, looking down at the white dragon.

He stared back at her, a newfound intensity burning in his golden eyes. As she locked gaze with the dragon, she could see herself reflected. She had changed, as had he. They were the same as before, and yet not. They had grown into something more, in a way. Chloe new that however young he was, the dragon had understood the mosaic as much as she had, if not more so. She felt an unspoken agreement being forged between them, their bond strengthening.

_Whatever it takes we will not disappoint those whose wisdom prevailed us, _Chloe said determinedly. The white dragon snapped his jaws, and then roared as only a hatchling could in approval.

_I know who you are,_ she realized. The white hatchling stared back at her with solemn golden eyes.

She spoke his name, and he considered it for a moment.

Then the cave was filled with the hatchling's pleased humming.


	9. Chapter 7

**So a HUGE thanks to those who reviewed last chapter and gave me feedback. I'd also like to thank anyone who has stuck with this story despite my spotty updates. Um, I disclaim: I obviously don't own any of CP's work, nor Harry Potter.**

**IMPORTANT: This story is still just beginning in a way, so things will start to make more sense as the story progresses. I will also be revising the previous chapters. Also, I think a flaw with this story is lack of detail, so expect more of that. Another thing, as it stands now: Murtagh and Thorn believe that by going to Earth Murtagh's oaths were broken, and they need to change their true names before the King realizes this fact. Eragon, however has proven that his is still intact because he can't disobey Nasuada. **

**Righto, that is all. **

Murtagh

_Stop moving you overgrown lizard!_ Murtagh exclaimed in exasperation. Thorn snapped his jaws playfully, a puff of smoke leaving his nostrils.

_Be careful whom you call an overgrown—_Thorn began making the sound of a choked growling once more as he laughed. _That tickles! _He exclaimed. Murtagh shook his head.

_Silly beast. _He sighed. He'd been attempting to clean an itchy scale of Thorn's (though not _that_ scale. No matter how much it pained or itched him they must not draw attention to _that_ particular scale) for the past quarter of an hour without much success. He heard footsteps, and he stood, tossing the sharpened twig he'd been holding to the ground as he faced a haughty Eragon. Thorn righted himself, watching the two brothers and shuffling his wings, ready to blow Eragon to the ground with a conjured gust if he annoyed him too greatly.

"Have you seen Chloe?" Eragon asked impatiently. Murtagh noticed that was the only tone Eragon knew lately. Impatience.

"Not for a while no. See I wasn't quite aware I'd been made her keeper." Murtagh sneered as he took in his brother. His pointed ears, fair features, the way he carried himself. He decided that Eragon's princely elf looks irritated him greatly. Eragon's expression hardened, and he stepped forward until he was face to face with Murtagh.

"Don't you dare touch her, Murtagh." the blue rider warned.

"You know, I think I willl do whatever I please. After all, it is not as if you know my true name and can force me, _brother_." Murtagh taunted. He was surprised when he saw something inside Eragon snap as the blue rider shoved him in the chest. Thorn angled his head towards Eragon, baring his teeth in a menacing growl and opening his wings menacingly.

_I would not advise you to do that again, hatchling, especially without your dragon to protect you._ Eragon looked from Thorn to Murtagh in fury, and then stalked away. Murtagh let out a whistle, as he and Thorn watched Eragon march away.

_I would love to know who it was that's made him so frustrated so I could applaud them._

_I thought you had learned by now that he does not enjoy being associated with you as brother._ Thorn said as he returned to his leisurely position once more. The sun was still shining and pleasantly warming his scales, and he cared little for the mindset of the human-elf-odd-brother.

_I don't know what it is that has him so irritable. If I didn't know any better I'd say that this has more to do with just my presence._ Murtagh said, still staring after his brother.

_Do you know any better, Murtagh?_ Thorn asked lazily. Murtagh considered him for a moment.

_I don't know. I used to know him well enough. _Murtagh said as he leaned against the ruby dragon's forepaw. His thoughts drifted to Chloe.

_Do you think she'll make a good rider?_ Murtagh asked. Thorn considered his question.

_She was chosen by one of my kind, and we do not choose lightly. Our decision is one that we must endure, if we are fortunate, for many decades to come. We would not choose to hatch for someone unless we were sure that human or elf would be our perfect match. _Murtagh mulled over his words.

_Have you ever regretted hatching for me? _He asked. Thorn's answer was immediate, without hesitation.

_Never, hatchling. I knew then as I knew now. You are my rider, and shall be until death. There would not have been anyone else for me. _Thorn said, humming. Pleased, Murtagh pushed himself away from Thorn.

_I am going to go search for Chloe before my half-witted brother returns and accuses you of eating her. _Murtagh told Thorn as he began to walk away.

_It isn't through _my _eyes she looks particularly appetizing, Murtagh. _Murtagh cursed as he lost his footing slightly, and the nearby birds fled in terror at Thorn's growling guffaws.

_Oh, shut up you! One thought, one time!_

Knowing that Chloe had taken to spending time at the waterfall, Murtagh began in that direction. He had left Thorn to bathe in the sunlight and was currently making his way through the wooden path that separated him from the waterfall. The leafy canopy above him offered a cooling shade with the occasional sunbeam pouring through, and all was peaceful except the quiet chirping of the birds and-

"Murtagh!" A woman called. _Oh what now?_ Murtagh thought to himself as he turned in the general direction the call had come from. He saw Viviana jog towards him, and she smiled fleetingly as she caught her breath as she stopped next to him.

"Have you seen Chloe? I was hoping she was with you." Viviana said, worry creasing her brow. Murtagh nearly laughed. That had to be the _only_ time a mother had ever hoped their daughter was with him. However he refrained from doing so, only because she'd been kind to him when not many others would have or had, despite learning of his history.

"No, I cannot say I have. I can help you search for her if you would like." Murtagh offered, deciding against telling her he'd been looking for her anyway.

"Oh would you? I know Eragon is searching for her too, but I don't think he's well. I'm not sure what's upset him. He seems on edge nowadays." Viviana admitted. _So when did I become so damn approachable?_ Murtagh wondered to himself he led the way towards the waterfall. All was quiet until the older woman broke the silence. She spoke hesitantly, and when Murtagh looked back questioningly at her he found her cheeks flushed with embarrassment.

"Murtagh… I'm sorry to ask this, I understand you have your own concerns, but do you think… do you think that you could keep an eye out for Chloe? She's still so young and unaccustomed to this… lifestyle. I'm worried about her, and I would rest easier if I knew you were aware of her." _Rest easier if I kept an eye out for her? Have I stepped into yet another alternate world? M_urtagh wondered in disbelief.

_How lucky, Murtagh. You even have the girl's mother's blessing! _Thorn chortled in amusement.

_Weren't you asleep?_ Murtagh asked in annoyance. Thorn only continued to laugh. Unsure of how else to answer her he nodded.

"I shall do my best, Viviana. Rest assured." Murtagh said with what he hoped was a polite smile. She returned his smile, and Murtagh continued onwards, hoping the awkward moment was over and he wouldn't be required to smile again. Thankfully the noise of rushing water reached their ears, and they soon stepped out of the woods and onto the sandy beach that surrounded the water. Murtagh immediately spotted the two sets of fresh tracks, Chloe's and the hatchling's.

"Chloe and her hatchling were certainly here, just a few hours ago." Murtagh said, frowning as he inspected the sand around the water better. There were tracks leading into the water, but none that led out...

"Were?" Viviana asked worriedly.

"There isn't another set of tracks leaving." Murtagh cursed, quickly removing his belt that held his empty sword sheath and kicking off his boots.

"Murtagh please don't tell me what I think is going on!" Viviana said, her voice pitched higher in distress. Murtagh didn't answer, instead wading into the water and then diving below.

The water was cold, yet he'd experienced colder baths as punishments from Galbatorix, punishments that resulted in Murtagh being able to hold his breath for much longer than should be necessary. He swam deeper, finally spotting a mass of white scales. The hatchling was tugging at his rider's tunic, desperately trying to pull her to the surface. Fortunately Chloe wasn't unconscious, she seemed to be trying to be struggling with something. Murtagh reached her quickly, wrapping his arms around her small waist and pulling her upwards. He was surprised when she began to resist. But he was stronger, and together they broke free of the water's surface.

"No! Stop! Why—you…. Now-bottom-" Chloe tried to say, but she couldn't seem to speak properly, and her eyes were moving oddly, as though she was reading something in the air before her impossibly fast. Her eyes were darting left to right repeatedly, and they had a wild look about them.

"Sword…bottom…can't lose…" she struggled to say as she fought to keep her eyelids open. Then she lost consciousness.

"Chloe! O mio dio Chloe! Mio dio, mio dio, mio dio!" Viviana screamed in her native tongue as she ran into the water towards Murtagh. Murtagh pulled Chloe towards her mother, the dragon hatchling swimming next to him.

"What happened?" Viviana asked frantically as she grabbed Chloe's wrist and checked for her daughter's pulse. Her body was cold and her lips were tinged blue.

"I'm not certain." Murtagh grunted as he reached the low water and stood, picking Chloe up easily. He laid her on the ground once he was out of the water, and then attempted to recall a few words in the ancient language. Murtagh cursed as the words evaded him.

_Dammit Eragon!_ He cursed his brother.

"CPR!" Viviana instructed as she flung herself next to Chloe's unconscious form. She pushed her sleeves back to her elbows to free her hands, and then rested her shaking hands on Chloe's chest, doing a series of pumps. Realizing what Viviana was attempting to do, he bent towards Chloe's face, parting her lips and then pressing his mouth over hers. He breathed in and out a few times, trying to fill her lungs. He felt Chloe stir. Her eyes flew open and Murtagh moved away as she sat upright. She coughed, spewing water.

"The sword! I can't leave it!" She managed to say as she attempted to crawl back to the water.

"Chloe what are you talking about?" Viviana asked in concern as she pressed her hand to Chloe's forehead. Her eyes sparkled with tears, and she tried to press a hand against Chloe's forehead. "What in the world were you doing down there?" Chloe seemed unable to hear her as she continued to struggled against her mother's restraining hands, clawing at her mother's arms to get back into the water.

"Shur'tugal sverdar! Shur'tugal sverdar!" Chloe yelled, catching Murtagh's attention.

"What of a Rider's sword, Chloe?" He asked. She locked eyes with him, and he saw an odd glint in her eyes, along with a faraway glaze. Something magical was affecting her, Murtagh realized.

"There's a rider's sword in the lake?" Murtagh asked skeptically. Chloe nodded frantically.

"If you calm down, I will retrieve the sword for you." Murtagh told her. She nodded, only slightly calmer this time. Murtagh turned to the lake once more and stepped into the water.

_Should I be worried?_ Thorn asked. He had followed the event from Murtagh's mind, yet he'd kept silent.

_I have no idea what to expect. _Murtagh said as he dived once more into the water.

_I will be there shortly._Thorn said with a sigh as he stood and shook his wings.

_Inform Saphira, would you?_ Murtagh asked. He sensed Thorn's displeasure, but he did as Murtagh asked.

_She and Eragon are on their way. _Thorn said stiffly.

Murtagh swam deeper once more, and he noticed a glint in the murky depths similar to that of the white dragon's scales.

_I can't believe this!_Murtagh exclaimed as he found the sword Chloe had been speaking of.

_Is that what I think it is?_ Thorn asked, watching through Murtagh's eyes as Murtagh's fingers wrapped themselves around a gold hilt.

_I think it is. Do you know how long it is that Galbatorix has been searching for this?_Murtagh asked as he kicked off from the rocky lake bottom and swam upwards. He trudged out of the lake, shaking the water out of his hair and implanting the sword into the ground. He felt uncomfortable holding it, considering what he thought it was. He noticed Thorn had Chloe under a claw, her hatchling under the other as he fixed her with a red eye. She continued to struggle beneath the dragon and mumbling incoherently, but she seemed to be losing energy. Viviana was watching her daughter with unshed tears in her eyes. She had a dark red scratch just under her eye.

_That… what was it you called it? Glint? Yes, that glint in her eye seems to be fading. Whatever enchantment had a hold over her is passing, as with the hatchling. I thought it best to restrain them before they harmed themselves, and before she removed her mother's eye. _Thorn informed him. Murtagh glanced at the hatchling who was attempting to bite Thorn's paw without much success. The red dragon couldn't even feel it.

_You did well. Thank you._Murtagh thanked him.

"Viviana," Murtagh said softly, causing the woman to jump slightly. She moved closer to him, setting a hand on his arm. "What's wrong with her, do you know?" she whispered. Unsure of why she was keeping her voice down, Murtagh answered just as quietly.

"Thorn and I think that she was enchanted, being affected by magic of some sort. Whatever it was is losing it's hold on her." He said. "But-"

"The hell am I doing under your oppressively heavy claw?" an irritated voice demanded. Murtagh and Viviana looked up to see Chloe glaring at Thorn.

_It would seem the enchantment has passed. Should I let her up?_Thorn asked Murtagh.

_No. I wouldn't want her to get violent again._Murtagh said in amusement.

"Oi! Did you not hear me?" Chloe yelled. Thorn snorted, and a plume of smoke engulfed Chloe, causing her to cough.

"Great now I'm going to die of lung cancer. I rest my case: the hell am I—"

"Chloe how are you feeling?" Viviana asked tentatively.

"Well, I'd be a whole lot better if I didn't have a giant dinosaur standing on me but—whoa, what happened to you?" she asked as she managed to twist slightly from under Thorn and see her mother. "You look like you got into a fight with an angry cat and lost" Chloe commented as she looked at the various scratches up and down her mother's arms.

"You don't remember?" Murtagh asked.

"Remember what?" Chloe snapped as she focused on him. "I've got a raging headache and I feel hung over. Not that I've ever been hung over to know…" she added feebly as her mother threw her a look of disapproval.

"Do you mind getting your dragon _off of me please?_" Chloe said through gritted teeth. Murtagh looked unsure. She didn't sound as though she were calm, and really, he didn't want to take any chances... "If you don't I'm going to start screaming for Eragon, and I'm not sorry to say he'll kick your ass." Chloe snapped.

"Chloe apologize to Murtagh immediately!" Viviana exclaimed angrily.

"Not until he tells Puff here to get the hell off of me!" Chloe yelled back.

"You're being awfully ungreatful to the boy who just saved your life, Chloe." Viviana admonished. _Boy?_ Murtagh thought, feeling slightly insulted.

"Saved my life how? Because I was better of before, sans the lizard." Chloe snapped. There was a loud flapping of wings and a growl, and the two riders, two dragons and Viviana looked up to see Saphira drop out of the sky and onto the outcropping of rock above the waterfall, sapphire body poised to pounce at a moments notice. Eragon dismounted, his jaw set in a hard line as he scaled the rock wall and reached them.

"Finally, my knight in shining...tunic." Chloe muttered.

"Thorn, release Chloe." Eragon said, his voice full of authority. Thorn growled, but Murtagh held a hand up, nodding to his red companion. Thorn retracted his claw, and sat back on his haunches.

"Thanks, Mushu." Chloe glared at the red dragon as she stood. Viviana shot her a warning look. Eragon moved to Chloe, murmuring words in the Ancient Language so that she was once more dry and warm.

"Thank you. That feels much better." She smiled at Eragon. He returned her smile briefly.

"Is there anything else you need? Are you hurt?" He asked as he looked her over. It wasn't _that_ kind of looked, but Chloe felt her cheeks warm anyway.

"I'm fine, thanks. Other than being enormously hungry I'm good. My mom on the other hand, found a stray cat." Chloe said as she nodded towards her mother. Murtagh coughed to cover a laugh.

"The only stray cat was you, and you're more of a kitten." Murtagh informed her. Chloe's jaw dropped. "_I_did that? But—but—I can't even remember anything more than—oh my God it's all coming back to me now. Up until I was out of the cave." Chloe amended as she slapped a hand to her forehead. "Why is it always me?"

"Explain," Eragon instructed as he held his glowing palm over Viviana's cheek. The scratch disappeared, and he quickly healed the ones on her arms.

"Right," Chloe said, taking in a deep breath. She felt weak, like her legs were turning to jelly as her memory returned to her. She awkwardly lowered herself to the ground, sitting with her legs crossed. "How 'bout you call join me at this level? I feel like Jell-O." She saw Murtagh mouth 'Jell-o', and then the humans around her reluctantly sat down on the sandy ground, all paying her strict attention. The white hatchling climbed into Chloe's lap, leaning his head against her chest and closing his eyes. He was just as tired as she was.

"Well, what must have been more than a couple of hours ago, I'd say early afternoon, judging by the light now, I went to go train before our lesson." She glanced at Murtagh and then to Eragon. "You never showed up, so Loćien and—"

"Loćien?" Eragon asked in surprise.

"Yeah it's what I named my little guy. Anyway—"

"Why? When did you hear that word?" Eragon pressed.

"Word? Erm, I made it up? I don't know. I didn't think it meant anything. I liked it, he liked it, it seemed fitting." Chloe answered with a shrug. "What's it mean? I didn't name him anything lame, did I?" she asked, frowning.

"Loćien is from the Ancient Language. It means hope." Eragon said slowly, unconvinced.

"Oh." The word stirred a memory in her, and she found herself thinking of the voice that had entered her mind after she had named her hatchling. "Well, cool, then. Anyway, Loćien and I came here, and he went in for a swim. It wasn't a big deal until he decided to scare the crap out of me and didn't come back out of the water. So I went all Bay Watch and dove in after him. I found him, then lost him. I found a tunnel, kinda to the left of the waterfall there, and I followed it. I came out into an underwater cavern. I pulled myself out of the water, and Loćien found me. I couldn't see a thing, I was blind as a bat, and probably not thinking straight." Chloe recounted, and suddenly her eyes lit with excitement as she reached the interesting portion of her story.

"Now this is where it gets cool. I was trying to remember how to conjure up those werelight things but it was no use. I wasn't sure about the pronunciation, and I still didn't know much more than the theory of magic. Then a remembered a single word: _Brisingr_. I remembered Eragon telling me that was his first spell, and so I tried it. Imagine my surprise when freaking _fire_ appeared, _flared up_ right out of the torches mounted on the wall. One of the coolest things ever, I think, thinking back on it now. I mean, it was just _wush!_ And fire." Chloe said animatedly, hands flying out in front of her to imitate a tall flame. Her mother looked confused, and Murtagh and Eragon didn't look too impressed.

"So you found a secret cavern, where someone had been in at some time or another to set up torches, and you were alone with a hatchling, and decided to explore." Murtagh repeated slowly.

"Well when you say it like _that_…" Chloe trailed off. "Besides, Loćien's got a pretty good growl."

"Unbelievable." Muratgh said, head hung.

"Well I'm sorry I was too numb to think properly." Chloe snapped reproachfully, looking down to the sand where she was tracing her name with a finger.

"Chloe you should have been more careful, using magic like that. You weren't directing it anywhere, and you were already weak. What if there had been a hundred torches? You wouldn't have been able to stop the flow of magic, and it could have killed you." Eragon reprimanded with a stern look. Chloe looked up from her cursive penmanship, speechless.

"Did you not—magic, tall flames—oh forget it. You people are so negative. So as I was saying, I was finally able to actually see something. The cavern ended up being more of a tunnel then anything. I thought it was magic, because of the way it was carved. It looked a lot like the tunnel we used to reach the Dragon Hold, only it was way smaller, like maybe a head taller than the elves I've seen. Maybe that. So I started following the tunnel, and would you believe it art work starts popping up. It was gorgeous. It was a mosaic, but way better than anything I'd ever seen. The stones were the size of pebbles and smaller, and everything looked lifelike. It started out as scenery; desert, forest, ocean, mountains. But it was weird. Like if you stared at the ocean mosaic for long enough, the waves started to _move_. You could _smell_ the salt air, _feel_it. It was insane.

"Finally I got to a point where there were dragons," At this point she saw the dragons shift and give her their full attention. "they were amazing. Every color imaginable and so, so _fierce_. But then…" Chloe paused, taking in a deep breath. "The mosaic showed me the history of it all. The start of the war, after that first hatchling was murdered. The killing that ensued. It was horrible, lifelike as it was. I felt like I was watching a horror movie. And then I saw Loćien on the tunnel wall, only it wasn't. His eyes weren't gold, they were silver. It was Bid'Daum, and I saw how he and Eragon met." she said, and a fond smile appeared on her lips.

"You literally watched history as it unfolded. Incredible." Eragon murmured, deep in thought.

"There's more. Most of it I had to piece together with what you told me, and then some of it was like I knew, like someone was telling me a story."

"Was there anyone else down there, Chloe?" Murtagh asked. It would be like her to leave out such critical information until the end of her story.

"No, there wasn't." Chloe said, although she wasn't sure whether she was being truthful. She'd certainly felt like there was some sort of… presence in the tunnel, and of course the

chatterbox in her head. Not that she'd mention it.

"The mosaic must have been created by a Rider from the Dragon Hold from when this place was still in use." Viviana offered, and everyone looked at her in surprise. "What? I haven't turned a blind eye to all of the conversations you've had. I'd like to know exactly what it is my daughter is a part of." She defended.

"No, no, Viviana. An excellent theory I find myself agreeing with." Eragon assured her. Chloe shook her head.

"See, that's what I thought at first too. But then I reach a part that was really weird. I saw Galbatorix and how he became king and all, but then I saw you two." Chloe said as she looked between Eragon and Murtagh. "And then _me_. Like, with Loćien hatching and all. Freaky right?" The effect was immediate. Through some unspoken agreement between the half brothers and dragons, the two riders jumped to their feet, Eragon headed straight for the water. Murtagh was pulling Chloe and Viviana simultaneously to their feet, urging them away from the water and into the woods. He yanked the white sword out of the ground and handed it to Chloe quickly.

"What the hell?" Chloe asked as she unsuccessfully tried to pull her arm out of out the red rider's grasp. She glanced over her shoulder but couldn't see the water anymore. Thorn had moved and was currently shielding them, making them unable to see anything beyond the sparkling red scales.

"Did you not think that someone may have been in the tunnel with you, casting the spell?" Murtagh asked as he pulled her through the forest with unnecessary force. Chloe noticed her mom wasn't being dragged. Then again Viviana was keeping pace, while Chloe was trying to plant her feet. They ducked beneath a low-hanging branch.

"Well I didn't see anyone." She told him, and Murtagh rolled his eyes.

"There are ways of shielding oneself from another's sight with magic." He told her.

"Well I know _that_. I checked, like Eragon told me to, with my mind. And guess what? No one was there." Chloe retorted, still trying to twist her arm out of his grasp. He finally let go of her.

"I doubt it would be impossible to hide from you, Chloe." Murtagh informed her. Chloe's eyes narrowed.

"I'm going to go ahead and tell you you're not going to find anyone." She promised.

"We shall see."

**Eragon POV**

_Be careful, little one._Saphira cautioned as she watched Thorn fly in the direction of the stone buildings, following his rider on ground trek through the air. Eragon could feel her frustration at not being able to follow him beneath the water and into the underwater cave. He reached the bottom of the lake in few seconds, but he couldn't find the tunnel entrance anywhere.

_Strange… Saphira there is no tunnel._

_You believe Chloe would lie?_ Saphira questioned as her rider angled for the surface.

_No… I do not even see how she could have known what she knew. I gave her only a small portion of the knowledge she seemed to possess. She knew specific details._Eragon explained as he trudged out of the water. Now that the ruby dragon had departed, there was enough room for Saphira to land on the beach. Eragon jumped into the saddle, and Saphira took to the air, angling in the same direction Thorn had just gone.

_The tunnel must have been sealed by whomever it was that wielded the magic that showed Chloe our history._ Eragon said. _I see no other explanation. Barzûl,_ Eragon cursed. _If he or she had meant us no harm, would they not have remained behind? Why skulk in the shadows if their intentions were good?_ Saphira greed with him.

_We must remain vigilant. But Eragon, you must remember that we no longer hide from our fears and problems._She reminded him.

_I don't understand,_ he answered in confusion as she landed on her hind legs and then settled onto all-fours. She snaked her head around so that she could fix him with a piercing blue eye.

_Not since the death of Garrow have we fled like cowards. I understand that Nasuada's instructions are unfavorable with you, however you cannot pretend they are commands not issued._

_I know._ Eragon responded sourly. _Saphira bristled slightly._

_Don't use that tone with_me_,_She sniffed. _I'm__ not the one avoiding Murtagh simply so that I can prolong what I've been told to do._Saphria said. Eragon squared his jaw, slipping out of the saddle and beginning towards the meeting room where he could hear everyone gathered. He never made it that far. Strong talons pierced his tunic, cold against his back as they pushed him to the ground and rolled him over until he was facing the narrowed eyed sapphire dragoness.

_I prefer you when you're not in this self-pitying, irritated mood._Saphira said, barring her teeth slightly. Eragon looked away, ashamed.

_I'm sorry. I know I've been acting strange. It's just nothing has been sitting well with me these past few days…_

_I know._Saphira said, dipping her head slightly before stepping back and allowing him to stand. _I know little one. But we shall endure, as we have done so before._

_I just think there's more to be gained if he is our ally._Eragon reasoned as he picked himself up and began to climb up the stone steps and towards the meeting room. He could hear Murtagh and Chloe arguing inside.

_You miss how he was. I know that too._ Saphira said, watching him sadly. _Perhaps you could try to make any ally of him by not speaking to him as though you'd like to run him through with your sword._Saphira suggested. Eragon snorted.

_And you with Thorn?_

_That is a different matter entirely._

"I'm _so_ going to stab you with this shiny sword if you don't stop calling me that!" Eragon heard Chloe exclaimed. Her words were followed by a deep male laugh, and then a yelp, and Viviana's exclamation of Chloe's name.

"What? I gave him fair warning didn't I?"

_I better go._ Eragon said, unable to keep the amusement at bay. Saphira felt much the same.

_Chloe and Murtagh may argue even more than you and he._

Eragon stepped inside the meeting room to find Chloe being scolded by her mother, Murtagh smirking over Viviana's shoulder all the while. Eragon was quickly seeing a pattern forming. The only thing he didn't understand was why Viviana liked Murtagh so much. Angela had a stool beside one of the many high backed stone chairs that surrounded the stone table and was busy with a knotted piece of twine, measuring the impatient white hatchling for reasons known only to her. Solembum was at her side, watching him expectantly with glowing yellow eyes.

_Loćien,_Eragon corrected himself. Hope. Chloe spotted him, and used him as an excuse to part away from her mother's rant about not pointing weapons unless it was at the enemy.

"So, _Eri_," Chloe began with his nickname. He blanched at the thought of ever calling his old teacher by a nickname. He could only imagine what Oromis might have said, much less Glaedr had he called him 'Ori'. Then his heart tightened at the thought of the loss of the rider. "Hello? You there?" She asked, waving a hand across his face. He blinked rapidly.

"I was asking whether or not you'd found anything, anyone." Chloe said casually, although she didn't do a good job at masking her smugness. She already knew the answer.

"There was no one to be found, Chloe, no. But I couldn't even find the tunnel." He explained. Chloe's facial expression fell.

"What? Then what the heck am I supposed to do with this?" Chloe asked as she picked up a sword from the stone table. Eragon couldn't understand how he'd missed it. The sword was simple though beautiful, obviously of elvish make. The hilt was pure silver, with a large diamond set in the pommel. The snowy white blade was long and narrow, yet he knew it would never break or yield.

"May I?" Eragon asked, his voice hushed as he held his hands out. He saw Chloe hesitate for a second, and then hand the sword over to him. For some reason he had the feeling she hadn't even realized she had hesitated. He couldn't believe he was seeing _the_ sword. The first of its kind. He hadn't even known the maker had been so old. _How did she get her hands on this?_

_More importantly, was it meant for her? Eragon, we have entered a time were there are greater forces than ourselves at play. We may have a few allies that prefer to remain in the shadows. A sword such as this could not be cursed by evil magic. I see no harm from it._

"Sure, go ahead. I'm not even sure what _I'm_ supposed to do with it. I just sort of found it in the underwater cavern. And there wasn't even a Lady of the Lake, either." Chloe mumbled. Stepping away from Chloe, Eragon swung the sword experimentally, testing it's balance. It was near perfect for him. It wasn't his perfect match like Brisingr, or even as Za'roc had been, but it was close. He held the sword up for inspection, scanning the glyphs of the Ancient Language. Atmá, so it was called. He was aware that all eyes were on him; Chloe's, Murtagh's, Viviana's and Solembum's, and even Angela had paused measuring Loćien to watch him. To watch the sword.

"I assume you know who this belonged to?" Eragon asked Chloe as he ran a finger down the flat of the blade. Chloe nodded slowly. The blue rider looked up from the sword and to her hatchling.

"The color of his scales and that of the blade are a very near perfect match." He continued. Again Chloe nodded, yet more hesitantly this time.

"An interesting coincidence." Angela commented, her tone suggesting she didn't think it was such a coincidence at all.

"I hope you're not suggesting what I think you're suggesting." Chloe said, glancing at the sword in his hands as though it might bite her.

"You need a Rider's blade, Chloe. A proper one, and we don't have the time to have another forged. You should take this one." Eragon said, presenting the blade to her. Chloe looked at the blade doubtfully.

"I don't think so. I can't take Eragon's sword. It just wouldn't feel right." Chloe said, shaking her head. "I mean, he was _him_ and I'm well, Chloe. I'm hardly worthy."

"Please Chloe. I am beginning to think that perhaps whomever it was that showed you the mosaic isn't an enemy after all, especially if they granted you the sword." Eragon said. "If the sword found you, then perhaps you were meant to have it."

"I'm telling you Eragon, there was no one else but Loćien and I in that cavern." Chloe said grimly as she considered the sword. She took the sword reluctantly, holding it gingerly with both hands. "Besides, it's so heavy I doubt I could use it properly. I'm sure I'll be fine with a regular sword for a while, and it's not like I'm as strong as you are. I won't smash it to bits." She countered, laying the sword down onto the stone table. Eragon was about to counter when Saphira's voice entered his mind.

_Let her be as far as the sword is concerned, Eragon._ Saphira told him. He could tell she knew something he wasn't telling her, so he followed her advice.

"Very well then. Arya is not present because she has traveled to Tronjeim for supplies and to contact Queen Islanzadí, but I am calling a meeting. Please, sit." Eragon said, gesturing towards the stone seats that surrounded the table. He knew Chloe didn't like them because they were cold and couldn't be moved closer to the table, seeing as the high backed chairs seemed to have been grown from the stone floor itself. The backs of the chairs were covered in runes, but he hadn't had a chance to take a look at them yet. He chose the seat closest to him, and he saw Chloe and Murtagh exchange glances before settling some distance from each other. He noticed Angela didn't move from her own stool nor Viviana take a seat.

"Did you bring your own stool knowing how uncomfortable these chairs were, Angela?" Eragon asked, unable to help the smile that tugged at his lips. Angela looked down at her own stool, unimpressed.

"This old lump of wood? I carved it only this morning. No, I don't think I should sit at your table. I'll sit _adjacent_to it, _near_ it, but not _at_ it." She said as though this made it clear to him. "Adjacent. What a fine word." She added, and he could see her mouth the word several times and then nod to herself.

"And why is that?" he asked curiously. She blinked at him, shaking her head so that her brown curls bounced.

"I'm not a Rider, am I? Of course not. So that would be more of an intrusion, than anything else, now wouldn't it?" She told him impatiently.

"I feel the same." Viviana added. Eragon nodded, understanding. He supposed he'd feel the same way, had it been the other way around.

"Is there a particular reason this meeting was called?" Murtagh asked, clearly irritated. His jaw was set, and he looked less than thrilled to be sitting down with them.

"Yes, actually. There are a few matters that must be discussed." Eragon said. "Angela, I have a favor to ask of you." Eragon began. The witch observed him with raised eyebrows.

"Is that so?"

"Would you travel to the Varden to retrieve Elva, and then return here?" He asked. If she had been expecting anything, it certainly hadn't been that. And he certainly didn't expect her reaction. She slammed a small fist against the stone table.

"I will do no such thing! Don't you think that the poor girl has been put through enough?" Angela exclaimed.

"I know, but—" Eragon began, but Angela disregarded his words.

"Why won't you people understand? She isn't a weapon or a tool to be used by the Varden for this war!

"If you'd just—"

"I _refuse_ to be a part of a cause that would use young children so selfishly, spiriting them away from one camp to another to be treated like a tool! I will not—" Saphira finally decided to intervene, directly contact Angela.

_Peace, Angela. Elva has asked this of Eragon when they last communicated through scrying magic._

"Oh. I wasn't aware." Angela admitted. But she didn't apologize. Eragon rolled his eyes.

"I am as surprised as you are. It seems that Elva is uncomfortable and does not feel safe. The least I can do is this, if she wishes to be here under my protection." Eragon told her calmly. "I have not forgotten what I've done to her and my debt to her is still great. But I know you too care for the child, and she trusts you, as do I." Eragon told her. Angela held his gaze for a moment.

"Very well. I will leave at once. If I am quick I can make it to the Varden camp the night after next, and it will be that much easier to steal her away. Of course, I may have to drug a few guards…" Angela murmured to herself. Eragon's eyes widened.

"What? No! Nasuada has given me permission for this! There will be no need for sneaking or drugging of any kind." Eragon assured her. Angela looked positively put out.

"Very well then, I'll do it the boring way." She sighed. "Come, Solembum." She said, and she and the werecat stood to leave the meeting room. Angela paused by Chloe and whispered something in her ear so softly that even Eragon couldn't make out. A look of surprise flitted across Chloe's face, and then a relieved nod. Angela gave her a firm squeeze on the shoulder and then smiled a goodbye at Viviana and left the room.

Viviana looked torn as she glanced at her daughter.

"I should go check on Ronnie. She was in our room with Padfoot before all of this…and I should go." She said with a tight smile before leaving. Eragon wasn't sure what was wrong with her. He turned back to his fellow riders, wondering how to begin.

Chloe

"Some decisions need to be made." Chloe looked away from Loćien who was curled up on the stone table in front of her to Eragon. She raised her hand, knowing she had to say something. _Wow, he's so cute. And wow, I have never seen brown eyes so deep. And he's so nice. I mean sure, he's been on his man period the past few days but hey, no one's perfect._

"Chloe? Are you alright?" Eragon asked in concern. Chloe blushed as she snapped out of her thoughts, realizing she was staring, and that her arm was still in the air. Eragon was probably thinking there was some major water damage going on with her. Just lovely.

"Right, yeah I actually have something to say." She said, dropping her hand. "About the whole swearing my fealty to Nasuada thing… I ah, changed my mind." She said weakly. She saw Murtagh sitting up a little straighter, interested in the new discussion.

"Oh?" Eragon asked, but Chloe was surprised. She'd expected a whole lecture on how she said she'd think about it and meet her, but instead Eragon seemed only slightly upset, more interested than anything.

"Here's what I'm thinking, after my you know, impromptu history lesson: humans suck. We happen to be an exception to that rule being riders and all, but as a general rule its true. If I swear my loyalty to this person, I can't just get fired from the job if there's something I don't want to do. Nasuada would have the power of forcing me to do it anyway. I don't know her well enough to know if she'd be the type to do it, but I'd rather not take chances." Chloe stated. She wasn't lying; not really, she just wasn't going to mention the being that had talked to her in her head after she had named Loćien. At least not yet.

"Then what is it you want to do, Chloe?" Eragon asked. There was an edge in his voice, but Chloe didn't think it was directed at her.

"Swear my loyalty to you, and you to get out of your oath with Nasuada." Her answer was met with dead silence. She saw the surprise on both Eragon's and Murtagh's face.

"You want me to what?" Eragon finally asked.

"I may be new to this and all, but I'm kinda starting to understand what this is all about. That mosaic really did it for me. Look, I get why before it made sense for you to swear your loyalty to the Varden, besides not having much of a choice. You _were_ new to this, almost as new as I was to it all. But Eragon, you're supposed to be the last free rider. How can you be when you're tied like you are? It's up to you to train me now, and whoever will come after. I think it's time to start fresh. You can make your own decisions and I will follow your guidance without question. After seeing our history, Eragon no one should be above us. We shouldn't be controlled by anyone else because it could corrupt even the most good person. Think about what that much power and pressure could do to a person." Chloe reasoned. It was true she wasn't positive what she had been talking about, that she was going more by feeling and what the unknown voice had told her and by the reasoning of some half-forgotten SyFy flick, but hey it seemed to be working. She could see Eragon battling with himself and probably consulting Saphira. She felt her right palm began to itch, and she scratched at it absentmindedly. _Of course, when Ginny started listening to a talking diary she ended up almost drained of life and dead. Didn't I always say I_wouldn't _be that girl?_

"I understand, Chloe. However, I doubt Nasuada wishes to release me from my oath at the moment. Especially not when it has just been put to the test." Eragon added. Murtagh froze.

"What?" the red rider asked sharply. He was met with an icy glare.

"Not that it concerns you, Murtagh, but it is common knowledge that one cannot break an oath sworn in the ancient language." Eragon told him.

"And you tried recently?" Murtagh pressed.

"…Yes. Why?" Eragon asked suspiciously. Murtagh shrugged.

"No particular reason, I just think it's amusing to see the high and mighty Eragon on someone's leash, especially that of Nasuada." Murtagh smirked in return. Chloe snorted.

"Psh, I'm sure its better than being the King's bitch. Oops. Pretend I didn't say that." Chloe said, trying to cover up her smile as she received the ultimate death glare from Murtagh. This one actually was kinda scary. _Wow, and I thought I had a good death glare going on. This guy could give me pointers. _

"Murtagh you have a part in all of this as well. You must decide which side you wish to support." Eragon said, trying to restore order. It didn't work, seeing as Murtagh erupted into laughter.

"Is that so? Are you magically going to free me from Galbatorix's oaths and allow me the grand opportunity to swear my allegiance to you instead?" Murtagh asked. Chloe could tell Murtagh was slowly working himself into a rant.

"I think it would be better than the alternative." Eragon said, fighting to keep himself calm.

"'Better than the alternative?' When will you understand that Thorn and I don't want to be the slaves of anyone? All we want is freedom, freedom it seems no one will grant us. If anything, no rider should have to swear loyalty to another! Where is the equality in that?" Murtagh spat. His volume of voice had caused Loćien to stir unhappily. Chloe soothed him with a touch of her mind.

_I can't handle anymore of this. I need a nap._She could feel herself getting tired once more, and all this fighting wasn't helping her growing headache at all, and she felt herself getting sick.

"Look guys, you can try and macho it out as much as you like, but we gotta look at the facts, so can we wrap this meeting up or not? I've got a splitting headache and I've have a long day so…" Eragon looked like he was about to argue, but he took sympathy on her.

"Very well. We all want Galbatorix overthrown—"

"I never said that." Murtagh muttered. Eragon gritted his teethed.

"Let's assume for a moment we all want Galbatorix overthrown for our own reasons then," Eragon amended. "We would need to work together, and that is a fact we all need to accept whether we like it or not. Murtagh, we need you." Eragon said, focusing on his half brother. It seemed to almost pain the blue rider speak so well of his half brother. Murtagh seemed started by the sudden assertion.

"I cannot deny that you're a great swordsman and magic user. You'd be closer to changing your true name if you decided to help us, I'm sure. I think it would go against everything you currently believe in." Eragon stated grimly. Murtagh shook his head.

"I could decide to help the Varden all I wanted but it would get me where? Nowhere at all, because I cannot actually _do_ anything to help the Varden. My oaths would prevent me."

"True, but I think that actually choosing a cause you would _like_ to support, not because you have no other choice, but because you actually _want_to, would be a good first step to gaining your own freedom." Eragon said. "Just think about it.

"He wouldn't even have to help us." Chloe said, and she was as surprised as they were that she had used 'us'. "He could change his name and get the hell out of here. That way we wouldn't have to fight him, you're not the King's puppet, and everyone wins. That depends of course, if you even want to be free." Chloe added as she turned to Murtagh.

"I don't want any of this." Murtagh said, and Chloe was surprised by the intensity of his tone. "I never asked for any of this."

"I didn't either. Neither did Eragon. But guess what? Life's a bitch and then you die. So I say, let's make the most of what we got with what we've got." Chloe said, her voice ringing with a note of finality concerning the subject. Murtagh didn't answer her, but gave her a curt nod instead. Deciding further argument would only push Murtagh further away from their cause, Eragon proceeded with the next topic he needed to discuss.

"Murtagh, I must ask, where are you keeping the Eldunarya?" Eragon asked blankly. Murtagh turned to him, laughing.

"What part of my oath do you no understand, Eragon? As though I could relinquish such information. You'll have to pry that knowledge from my mind yourself." Murtagh challenged. Chloe watched the sudden hostility between brothers, biting her lip to keep from opening her own mouth and joining in the argument. Besides, what the hell was an Eldunarya?

"I would rather not." Eragon said flatly.

"Because you know you cannot. You've never been strong enough to glean knowledge from my mind." Murtagh taunted.

"Because I'm not Galbatorix." Eragon snapped, surprising his half brother so much that his sneer slipped off his face. "I will not create an enemy from whom I am trying to ally myself with." Eragon said, and his voice held a note of finality. _Whoa, what the heck is wrong with him?_ Chloe wondered. He seemed so… so _emotionally invested_, Chloe decided. Hell, he almost seemed to _care_ about his half brother. _Huh, imagine that. They're not going to hug now, are they?_They didn't, choosing instead to stare at each other with studying, calculating gazes, each trying to foresee the other's motive.

"Fine." Murtagh finally said, looking away. _What just happened?_Chloe thought.

"Murtagh is there any piece of information that you'd be able to divulge concerning Galbatorix?" Eragon asked. Chloe noticed that Eragon was trying to act civilized towards his brother, and that Murtagh seemed just as surprised by the sudden change as she did. _Did someone flip a switch?_

_Master?_ She asked tentatively as she reached out with her consciousness.

_Yes?_ he answered after allowing her into his mind.

_Are you trying to trick him with your sudden niceness? Because I don't think he's going to fall for it._

_No tricks… I'll explain everything later._He said, and she retreated back into her own mind. She observed as Murtagh shifted uncomfortably, weighing his options and conversing with Thorn. Finally Murtagh, albeit unhappily, spoke.

"I think this war is far form over, and Galbatorix is going to be throwing more than just Thorn and I against you, Eragon. He's taken interest in a larger project, and he's confident enough that he believes he can retrieve us at his will, whenever he wishes." Murtagh said with a heavy, resigned sigh. She could tell by his tone of voice and by the slight fear that flitted across Eragon's face that he was serious. And she knew one more thing.

_We are so screwed._

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**So, next chapter we find out just why Eragon is suddenly being so nice to Murtagh, and more about the conversation Chloe keeps referencing she had with a voice in her head. We also get to see more overprotective Viviana, Ronnie, Padfoot, and Chloe's crush ;) Thanks for reading! **

**please review (:**


	10. Chapter 8

**So as usual, I'd like to thank the following: My reviewers, the people who have set this story on their favorites/story alert, and to the people who read it! Umm, so this chapter is Part filler/Part important scenes, so make of it what you will ;)**

**I do not own the Inheritance Cycle!**

**I Would Like To Dedicate This Chapter To: The M. H. T .of R **Your review brightened my day and made by lazy butt hurry up and update this story for ya ;) Also, I've been wondering for like EVER what your screen name means. Not gonna lie, but I totally googled it and came up blank. -_- lol but thanks for sticking with this story since chapter one!

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**Chapter 8: An Unlikely Compromise **

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After Murtagh's revelation, the meeting broke. Chloe was grateful; she had a date with the cot in her chamber she was eager to get to. Murtagh had stalked out of the room first, only his eyes betraying the conflict of emotions within him. Chloe waited a moment to be dismissed by Eragon, but then a minute passed and she could tell he was in deep conversation with Saphira. So she and Loćien departed, the white dragon hatchling padding next to her. Outside, Murtagh and Thorn were already gone, and she could see the red dragon in the distance alighting on an outcropping of rock that he had come to claim as his own. Murtagh spent his nights there with him, rather than inside the stone buildings with the rest of them. Chloe paused before she passed Saphira, bowing. At last she realized what this all meant. Saphira, the great sapphire dragoness was the last female of her kind. If they were fortunate, she would mother her race to its former glory. Saphira dipped her head in acknowledgment, and then her eyes shifted to a figure behind her. Chloe turned to see Eragon in the archway of the meeting room. He was watching her, and he appeared as though he were weighing his options. Finally he moved passed her to stand beside Saphira.

"Come fly with us, Chloe-finiarel, Loćien-finiarel." Eragon said, extending a hand to Chloe. Surprised, Chloe took his hand, allowing him to help her into Saphira's saddle. Eragon picked up Loćien and handed him to Chloe, who settled him in front of her and held him tightly. Eragon strapped her legs into the saddle, and Chloe was glad he could not see her red cheeks when he settled in the saddle behind her and wrapped a loose arm around her waist.

_Hold on,_ Saphira advised before springing into the air with a mighty leap. She unfolded her wings and they immediately caught the wind beneath them. With a series of flaps they were climbing into the air, rapidly gaining altitude and Chloe felt a weight in her stomach drop. She prayed she wouldn't be sick, but luckily the fresh, crisp air seemed to clear her head a little. Saphira banked to her right, and she landed on an outcropping of rock. Eragon helped her and Loćien out of the saddle, and Chloe carefully walked to the edge of the rock ledge.

"Oh my God, it's beautiful up here!" Chloe gasped. She could see everything from her vantage point, and she saw that the Dragon Hold was much bigger than she'd originally thought. She could see the entrance tunnel to her right, and her waterfall to her far left. The two seemed to be opposite corners of the Hold, but she couldn't even see the other two. The meeting room and their chambers were carved out of the stone in between the entrance hall and the waterfall. Beyond that, obscuring the waterfall stood tall trees that created a green wood. She could even spot the glade they used for training.

"Is that an arena?" Chloe asked as she pointed. Eragon came to stand at her side.

"Yes. Saphira and I believe that was the… meeting area that could house both the riders and the dragons. The meeting room we use I think, was meant for smaller gatherings."

_For boring meetings dragons could care little for._ Saphira corrected. Chloe smiled. The arena was enormous; it put the coliseum inRome to shame. But it was decrepit with age, and the wild had been claiming its territory back for some time now. Much of the grey stone was covered in green mosses and small trees where sprouting. The rest of the Hold was an vast expanse of forest, trees that she realized were quite large, unlike those in the woods near her waterfall.

"If you look closely you can see that there is a village in the forest." Eragon told her. "There," he pointed. "You see those trees? Their formation is irregular, and you can see that there is a slight ring around them. They are trees that have been sung in the manner of the elves and made into homes."

"Is that were the rider's lived?" Chloe asked.

"Perhaps. I've yet to go." Eragon said. His distant tone made her look up at him. He was observing her again.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Chloe, what I am about to tell you cannot be repeated to anyone else. Not to your mother, your sister or Angela, and especially not Murtagh or Thorn." Eragon told her, and Chloe gave a sharp nod of her head.

"Of course. If I knew the words I'd swear it in the ancient language." She promised. Eragon smiled briefly.

"I appreciate the sentiment." He said. He grew silent once more.

"Are you going to explain why you've suddenly gone soft?" Chloe teased lightly, referring to his behavior with Murtagh in the meeting earlier.

"Yes, but it is no laughing matter." Eragon told her, moving away from the ledge. Chloe followed suit, opting to lean against a boulder instead. Loćien climbed the bolder and settled at its top, near her head.

"Where do I begin? When you and your mother took us into your home, I explained my story to you. I told you of my times with Murtagh. He was my friend. He saved my life more than once. Then I found myself battling a rider stronger than I, who happened to be my brother. Murtagh is a lot of things, but I believe he can be a good person." Eragon said with a heavy sigh. "I cannot blame him for all of his actions. He has lived under the pressure of Galbatorix for most of his life. I'm ashamed to admit that I never did take that under consideration as much as I should have. I—I'm beginning to understand what it must have been like for him to be bound by oath." Eragon explained. Chloe could only nod; she was afraid that if she spoke she might break whatever compelled Eragon to speak of his brother in such an accepting light.

"Chloe, Nasuada is a good person. She's a wonderful leader; she has always put the well being of the Varden above that of her own. She has undertaken many challenges to become what she has today. I have agreed with her judgment in the past, yet yesterday I could not. I explained to you the meaning, the power behind true names. Nasuada has asked me to learn Murtagh's in hopes that if I can he will become our ally." Eragon said. Chloe could feel herself getting sick again.

"Is that why you're being so nice to him? So that maybe he'll let you in and you can stab him in the back?" Chloe accused. She might not be buddy-buddy with the red rider, but this just seemed _wrong_.

"No!" Eragon exclaimed, a look of horror on his features. "No! I don't want that. I don't think that's right either. What I mean to say is that I'm beginning to understand what it's like to have to do something under oath and not like or agree with it. I would rather Murtagh joined us of his own accord rather than because I forced him. Besides, Nasuada made it sound as though learning the true name of a person was an easy matter. It is not." Eragon said. Chloe nodded slowly.

"So you want him on our side?" Chloe said slowly. Eragon nodded. "I'm sure you know him better than I do, but I don't think that's going to happen. I think he'll book it at the first chance he's got. Murtagh's one of those guys who don't care about anyone else but himself, and in his case his dragon. I don't see him helping us." Chloe said, crossing her arms across her chest. Eragon gave her a meaningful look. Chloe sighed, looking up at the sky. She hadn't realized that it had gotten so much darker.

"Okay." She said, looking back to the senior rider. "Okay. I'll play nice, I guess. I'm not sure what you need me for." She told him. Eragon smiled.

"Nothing. I only need you to remain focused on your studies."

"Then why tell me all of this?" Chloe asked, confused.

_Because_, this time it was Saphira who answered as she opened her wings and shook them. _You and Loćien are rider and dragon. Eragon and I are no longer alone. Together we will stand as one; we will bare each other's burdens and share responsibilities. We shall share our strength and knowledge. The riders will be reborn once more._

As she stood there, taking in the faces of Saphira and Eragon, Chloe began to feel that this was an important moment. She wasn't sure why, but this was the first of many instrumental moments to come. Her actions and decisions would begin to have weight from this point on.

_I understand, Saphira-elda._

* * *

That night she dreamt of light. It was bright and beautiful, but not of a brightness that hurt her eyes. It was more of a golden light, and she didn't know where she was. Chloe only knew that she was enveloped in the golden light and that its warmth seeped to her bones, warming her from the inside out. It felt like sunlight.

_Chl-oe,_ A voice called in her mind. It drew out her name, breaking it apart.

_I know your voice,_ Chloe thought. But the voice didn't answer, only hummed in her mind. _You spoke to me in the cave. _

_ And once before,_ the voice told her. Chloe knew at once what it meant.

_You're the crystal. You're the Floating Crystal of Eoam._

_ So I have been called by some. You may simply call me Eoam. You remember what it is that I told you after I showed you the past?_

_ I don't remember everything, but some, yes._ Chloe answered.

_I would not expect you to remember all. It is difficult to speak with your kind. Most is forgotten… conversations are easily lost when the mind is overwhelmed with my magic. _Eoam said with what sounded like a heavy sigh.

_I remember you said the riders had to be reborn again. But I have so many questions. How was it that you created Loćien? And where did you get Eragon's sword? And why did—_

_ There is no time to explain. For every time that I stretch my consciousness across the lands that sit between us, I chance discovery by the Black Tyrant. My knowledge is great, though what I am meant to say and reveal is little. Restore of the balance was needed, and I accomplished my task. _Eoam told her. What was it that the voice reminded her of? There was something more…

_ Restore the balance? I don't understand… _

_ Nor is it your time to understand. My time in Alagaësia is nearing its end. When you become lost to a point where you can go on no further, seek me and I shall help you one last time._

_ I will. _Chloe promised, though her mind was spinning with unanswered questions.

_ Good. Then remember that only when four become six will you receive your inheritance. The path will not always be clear, argetlam, but if you do not stand alone you shall succeed. I will watch, but I will not always be able to intervene. Be wary of your past. _Eoam said, and the presence left her mind, and her dreams were rid of the golden light, leaving them cold and obscure.

* * *

When she woke up the next morning, Chloe felt good. She felt refreshed. Her chambers were still dark, and she knew the sun had yet to rise. She lay on her cot, the straw mattress beneath her uncomfortable as ever, yet a smile shone of her features. Then she remembered her dreams. _Not a dream, conversation. _She had truly spoken to Eoam. And then her dreams become memories turned into nightmares. The struggles she'd gone through with her mother and Ronnie after her father had disappeared. Band practices with Austin when he'd get angry and violent. But then she thought once more of the soothing voice of Eoam, and she smiled again. She felt optimism for the new day surge through her.

Rolling onto her side, Chloe prodded Loćien. He flicked his tail at her, but didn't make a move to wake.

_Suit yourself, then. I'll be back soon. _She got off the bed, carefully moving to the chamber door. She'd need to do something about covering the entrance to get a little more privacy. She paused as she heard heavy breathing, and when she looked down her eyes finally adjusted enough so that she could see a mass of darkness at her feet.

_Pads?_ She reached out with her consciousness and was startled by it. He wasn't capable of speech, yet he was a very intelligent beast, she could tell. He could understand her more now than ever before.

"Wanna come for a run with me?" she whispered. The giant dog sprang to his paws, and together they walked through the stone hallway and to the outside. Outside it was easier to see because of the shining moon. She felt as though she could see better anyway. It was still very obviously night, yet the world seemed to be illuminated by more than just the moon. The world shone with a dark purple nightly brilliance. She couldn't explain it. Somewhere in the distance an owl hooted. Chloe began to stretch, her usual warm up before her jog, just like she'd always done on Earth. She'd never been a physically active person outside of dance and her early weekend jogs, but she could do a mile with a light jog.

Practically bouncing on the balls of her feet, Chloe began her jog, Padfoot easily keeping pace with her. Her feet carried her on a familiar path; to the lake. Straying off the path, she wove through the trees, deciding to take a longer route in order to complete her estimate mile. When she and Padfoot ended up at the lake, she knew she had jogged more than a mile. She was certain.

_Then why don't I feel like it at all?_ She wondered. She felt perfectly fine, her breathing was even, hell she hadn't even broken into a sweat. Weird… She turned to see Padfoot lapping at the lake water.

"Hey Pads, catch me if you can!" she called out before taking off into the forest. There was an excited bark and she could hear Padfoot taking off after here. She put on a burst of speed, her run becoming a full on sprint. A laugh escaped her lips as adrenaline pumped through her, and she found herself running faster than she ever had before. When she made it out of the forest she saw the first signs of the sun light up the sky that streamed into the top of the mountain. Once they were on open ground and not in between the crowding trees, Padfoot quickly caught up to her, snapping at her ankles playfully. Chloe laughed as Padfoot ran past her, showing off. She stretched a hand out, threading her fingers through his thick black fur, and then pulled herself onto his back.

"Whoa!" she exclaimed as she nearly slipped off his broad back. She gripped slightly with her knees, as though she were riding a small horse. Only Padfoot's fur was longer and softer, and she could feel his lean body move beneath her. Pads slowed to a trot and then came to a full stop once they reached the stone chambers. The sky was light by now, and Chloe still felt good.

"Coco!" Chloe looked up from petting Padfoot's head to her little sister. Her heart surged with affection at the sight of the little six year old. She slipped off of Padfoot's back, who barked and then gave her a lick on the cheek before taking off. _What does that dog get up to?_

"Ah, it's Ra-Ra Ronnie!" Chloe exclaimed as she scooped up her little sister into her arms and swung her around. Ronnie giggled as she was deposited back onto the ground. Chloe tugged at one of her gold ringlets.

"You know, I think you're getting shorter. I could have sworn you were _at least_ an inch or two taller…" she trailed off.

"Coco, stop it!" Ronnie exclaimed through another giggle. Then she focused on a figure behind her and let out an excited yelp, bounding forward. Chloe turned to see her throw herself at Eragon only to be unpleasantly surprised; her sister had her arms wrapped around Murtagh's legs.

_Just when you teach a kid about stranger danger…_ Chloe thought to herself as she watched as Murtagh looked down awkwardly at Ronnie, clearly unsure of what to do as she stared at him with a brilliant smile.

"Hi Murty!" she piped up.

"Erm, hello, little one." Murtagh said tentatively. Chloe snickered, gaining Murtagh's attention.

"What? Aren't you going to throw yourself at me?" he smirked.

"No, I happen to have standards." She said with a fake smile. His smirk slipped off his face. "Why are you here anyway?" she asked. She couldn't see Thorn anywhere near, which was surprising.

"I'm here to…have breakfast." Murtagh said, and it looked as though someone had force fed him cough syrup, and not the good kind either. Artificial cherry, Chloe decided by the look of his grimace.

"You're here…to have breakfast. With us." Chloe clarified.

"That would be what I just said."

"You're joining us for breakfast." Chloe repeated. Murtagh shot her a look.

"How else shall I phrase it?" he asked with a scowl.

"I don't know, I mean, it's just surprising. You don't seem like the breakfast-with-people type of person…" Chloe shrugged as she studied him. Ronnie had finally disengaged herself from _Murty_ and was watching their exchange, confused as to why they were speaking to each other with such mean regard.

"Hey Ronnie, why don't you go tell Mom that he's joining us for breakfast?" Chloe said without looking away from Murtagh.

"Does my presence bother you, princess?" Murtagh asked once Ronnie ran back into the chambers. This time Chloe scowled.

"No, not at all, _Murty_. Or shall I call you Marty?" She asked, causing him to roll his eyes. "Now c'mon, what are you really up to? As much as I'm sure you love family breakfast, I'm positive you've got a motive behind this."

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Murtagh said coolly. Chloe chuckled.

"Uh-huh, so this isn't about you trying to play nice with Eragon so that you can find out what he's up to. Okay then, my mistake." Chloe shrugged as she turned to leave. Murtagh caught her wrist, spinning her back to face him.

"So you know he's attempting something?" Murtagh asked. Chloe snorted.

"Yeah, I would have totally thought the same thing, but it's _Eragon_ for crying out loud. He's not the devious type, I can tell you that and I've known the guy for a short time." She told him. Murtagh released her wrist and nodded in agreement. It was true that the words devious and cunning weren't exactly the first that came to mind when he thought about Eragon.

"So I can trust him. I can trust my brother." He said asked.

"I do. But you and I both know you're not going to, least not now anyway." Chloe said. "I wouldn't either, I guess if I was in your position. Guess that stems from both of us having daddy issues." Chloe told him grimly.

"I suppose so." Murtagh admitted slowly. They slipped into silence.

"Right, so I feel like we're having a moment but I'm going to go ahead and _not_ hug you." Chloe said, rocking on the balls of her feet.

"I'd prefer you didn't." Murtagh agreed. Silence again.

"Right, so I still don't like you much—"

"—the feeling's mutual—"

"—but I guess I should say thank you for, you know," Chloe looked anywhere but at the red rider. "Yesterday, so um, thanks." She said, making a fist and holding it up. Murtagh only stared at her in confusion. "Well, you've gotta—here," Chloe wrapped her hand around his, curling his fingers into a fist. Then she awkwardly bumped fists with him.

"Okay, that was weird. I'm going inside now." Chloe said as she turned on the spot and walked away to the stone building, shaking her head. A room down from the meeting room had been made into the dining and cooking room because it was the only other room with a large enough table though this one considerably smaller and rectangular. She could feel Loćien in the room as well and he reached out to her.

_Good morning_. She greeted. No words were returned, only sunny thoughts.

"Morning, Chloe." Her mother greeted. She was slicing and dicing various fruits and mixing them all in a large wooden bowl that Chloe recognized as Angela's.

"Hey mom." Chloe answered as she plopped down on one of the wooden stools around the table next to Loćien. Ronnie was on the hatchling's other side listening to Ronnie as she told him the story of Hansel and Gretel. It was one of the funnier things she'd seen in a while; a dragon hatchling listening tentatively as a six year old told a story. They almost reminded her of Lilo and Stitch. "Hey, how did Angela get all her stuff here? I mean she came with kitchenware, clothes, and I passed by her room once when she'd left her curtain open a little, and she had stuff in there. Like, a lot of stuff. It was insane. I think I might've seen a hookah in there." Viviana looked up from the fruit salad she was squeezing a lemon into.

"She said she brought a wagon with her." Viviana said. "I'm still not sure how she got here so quickly though. Even Eragon was surprised." Her mother said with a shrug. "But if there's one thing I've learned from her it's that she's full of mystery. But I like her. She's been teaching me a lot of things concerning medicines and potions." Viviana said with a tight smile.

"Huh. Well cool. You've always been interested in medical stuff, so I guess that's… cool." Chloe repeated lamely. She was unsure why her mother's smile seemed so strained. Murtagh walked into the room at that moment.

"Erm, morning." He said awkwardly. Viviana's smile warmed up slightly at his presence and Chloe thought, _clearly someone's playing favorites._

"Hello Murtagh. Please, sit anywhere you'd like. Viviana said as she passed out small wooden bowls and spoons and filled the bowls with fruit salad. "I must apologize that we've only been eating fruits and vegetable soups, but this is hardly a kitchen and I can't hunt."

"Eragon actually _likes_ it, and so does Arya. Apparently it's an elf thing. There's no way I'm going vegetarian though." Chloe said as she inspected a cube of purple fruit. "I love a nice, rare steak." Murtagh chuckled.

"I could hunt…if I had Eragon's permission, of course." Murtagh said. Chloe doubted he was as successful as he thought he was at keeping the bitterness out of his tone.

"I'm sure he'd love to grant it to you." Chloe told him. The 'As long as you don't stab him in the back and try and leave or call for Galbatorix' was left implied.

"Yes, I'm sure." Murtagh said with a measured gaze.

* * *

Breakfast had been an interesting affair, and Chloe knew Murtagh had been annoyed that Eragon hadn't shown up and he'd had to put up with family breakfast for nothing. Chloe and Loćien left the others for the Training Glade, and Chloe noticed that the white hatchling had gained a couple of inches seemingly overnight.

_Someone's growing fast._ She told Loćien. He snapped his jaws together in response. That was quickly become his 'yes' response.

_Are you going to talk anytime soon?_ She asked. Loćien surprised her by shaking his head.

_But you understand me just fine._ Snap of jaws, and Chloe giggled. _C'mon, let's not be late. _Chloe said and she began to jog to the glade with Loćien keeping pace beside her.

Eragon was standing in the center of training glade, looking very handsome as he did so, Chloe thought. He wore a deep blue tunic and brown leggings and brown leather boots. His sword, Brisingr, was belted at his waist. She couldn't see Saphira anywhere.

"Eragon-elda," she greeted with the formal salute she had been taught.

"Chloe," Eragon returned the gesture. "Where is Aiedail?" he asked.

"Aiedail, master?" Chloe asked in confusion.

"Yes, the sword from the lake. Its name is inscribed in the Ancient Language upon the blade. It is the name of the Morning Star." Eragon explained.

"Oh. I'm sorry master, but I wasn't aware I needed to bring it." Chloe said, cringing internally. She thought she'd made it clear yesterday that she didn't want to use that sword.

"Very well, but beginning tomorrow you must bring it with you." He said, and then turned his attention to the hatchling.

"Loćien, Saphira wishes to begin basic training with you. You will find her at the lake." Eragon said, both out loud and through a series of images. Loćien snapped his jaws and then began in the direction of lake. Chloe was sorry to see him go.

"Master, when will Loćien begin to speak?" she asked.

"There isn't a set time for when a hatchling will begin to speak. But that doesn't mean that he doesn't understand us, which he obviously does. Saphira began to speak when she was a few weeks old, but I've read that it depends upon the hatchling." He told her as he moved back to pick up their usual swords. He tossed her one of the swords and she caught it, swinging it for a moment.

"Ready?" Eragon asked and she nodded in response. Eragon wasted no time. As was usual in their training, he attacked first, slashing his sword at her shoulder. Gripping her sword hilt with both hands, Chloe parried the blow. She knocked his sword away from her for the next few minutes, noting that Eragon seemed to be moving slower than usual. He was always slower with her, mostly because she still needed to learn to move and think quickly all at the same time. She'd never be able to land a blow, much less beat him if he actually tried against her. Yet this morning he was even slower in his movements.

"Master, you're going slower than usual. Why is it?" Chloe asked. Eragon frowned as she blocked another sword thrust.

"I'm not, Chloe." He replied. Chloe shrugged, allowing for an opening, and Eragon nicked her on the thigh. The blow, like all others he'd inflict, would only cause bruising. And yet she was so sure he was moving slower….

Feeling confident, Chloe decided to deliver a blow herself, which caught Eragon off guard. Nonetheless he leaned out of the way, and he was pleasantly surprised when Chloe set him on the defensive instead of the offensive.

"Better, excellent footwork. Careful with those wide arcs, they leave your ribs exposed." Eragon instructed as he defended himself. Chloe made sure not to over think her current success like she had with Murtagh the day before, and only made sure to keep striking out at Eragon. After a few moments of Eragon defending himself, he forced Chloe into a defensive position once more. Finally Eragon caught her blade against his cross guard and with a flick of his wrist he sent Chloe's sword to the ground.

"Very good, Chloe. I'm impressed. I think it's safe to say that after the events of yesterday you're much more determined." Eragon said as Chloe picked her sword up from the grass.

"Yes, master. After seeing everything I saw, I realize now more than I did before how important is for me not be a well, a lousy rider. I'd rather not be the weak link that embarrasses our Order." Chloe said with a shrug. "And I guess after yesterday I also realized that my life on Earth is over. I can't really do anything about it. Yeah it sucks, but still I can't go back. I mean, even if I had the choice, I couldn't take it. Not after being bonded with Loćien. On Earth I wasn't much. I didn't have that many friends and my school work left something to be desired. The people I spent time with outside of my family weren't the best role models," Chloe said as she thought of Jennifer and Austin and Benji, her band. "All I wanted to do was become a dancer. That was what I was good at. I wasn't going to be someone who was going to make some awesome contribution to society. At least here, well guess whose moral compass just got tightened?" Chloe said with a weak chuckle.

"A wise dragon once told me, 'live in the present, remember the past, and fear not the future, for it doesn't exist and never shall. There is only now.' These words have led me well, and I hope they will do the same for you." Said Eragon. Chloe nodded, committing the words to memory.

"Murtagh came to breakfast." She said after a brief pause.

"He did what?" Eragon asked, surprised.

"Yeah, he came to breakfast. He wants to know if he can trust you, and I told him he could. 'Course, that doesn't really mean anything to him, because he doesn't think that highly of my word. But I also think he thinks you have an ulterior motive, that you're not just trying to be nice for the sake of brotherly bonding." Chloe explained. Eragon thought her words over for a moment.

"I don't expect him to trust me so easily. And he is right, I do have an ulterior motive, only it's in his benefit. Now come, let's continue."

By the time that Eragon was satisfied with her swordsmanship for the day, Chloe was beginning to feel tired. She found it strange, however, how little she was tired. If Eragon noticed, he didn't mention it. Next they moved onto magic, one of her new areas of study she was looking forward to the most. Of course, it was a lot more memorization and rule-learning than she cared for.

"What is impossible when it comes to magic?" Eragon quizzed.

"Ah, bringing back the dead." Chloe answered

"And?" he prompted.

"And… oh right, attempting a task that requires more energy than you have." Chloe recited.

"That is something you must remember before even thinking about using magic. If not it will kill you." Eragon instructed.

"I understand. But master, how will you know what you can do without killing yourself in the process? I mean, I could _think_ I could lift, I dunno, a boulder, with magic, but then what if I try and I die?" she asked. She didn't like all these rules. It made magic less fun.

"Until you become strong and knowledgeable enough to know your own limits and extent of your power, it is best to use magic in phrases in such a way that you can always cut off the magic you are supplying for your spell. That way if you begin to feel too much of a drop in your energy, you can end the magic. That is why it is important to study the Ancient Language thoroughly. Even a mispronounced word could kill you. For example, if you wanted to change the color of a flower to white, you would use in your incantation the word 'hvitr', which means white. But, if you made the mistake of saying 'hivtr' which is the word for hematite, you would turn the flower into hematite, which would be a significantly dramatic difference in the amount of energy it would require." Eragon explained.

"Gotcha. So I guess this means that's another thing I have to study like there's no tomorrow." Chloe said grimly. _Great, homework. So much for leaving that behind. _ She thought to herself. "At this point wouldn't it just be easier do things _without_ magic?"

"Yes, which is why you shouldn't use magic unless you have no other alternative. It shouldn't be used out of laziness, but out of true need." Eragon explained.

"Yesterday you were able to use magic. Let us see if you can do it again." For the next hour, Eragon had Chloe lift a pebble from off his palm, and then from off the ground. Once she had managed it, he had her move it around in the air in different shapes. By the end of the exercise she found herself significantly tired, and she had to take a moment to sit down on the grass to recover her breath. _…And so much for wingardium liviosa. _Eragon walked over to a tree were he had left a brown leather bag hanging from a low branch and retrieved a loaf of bread and tore off a piece, giving it to her. The bread was stale, and she knew it was the bread given to them by the elves before their journey to the Dragon Hold. But she ate the bread without complaint, grateful to have food in her belly after her use of magic now that her breakfast meal seemed so far away.

"Master, I have a question." Chloe said after she swallowed a lump of bread.

"I have an answer."

"How long exactly is Loćien's and mine training going to be? I mean, like you've said, we don't have all the time in the world, because at any moment the King might attack the Varden with his army." Chloe said. "I still have so much to learn, and Loćien still has to grow, so…"

"I understand your concerns, Chloe. They are the same that Saphira and I share." Said Eragon as he passed her his water skin, and Chloe took a swig of the fresh mountain water. "I cannot honestly say. We shall continue to train until we are called to battle. But I will not allow you or Loćien into battle unless I believe you two are prepared. Loćien won't even be able to breathe fire until he is at least six months old. But I doubt we'll have that long. Whatever it is he has planned, Galbatorix is taking his time. Which worries me only further, because he seems to think he is powerful enough that once we grow to be too much of a nuisance for him, he will stop us easily." Eragon admitted. Chloe wasn't sure how to reply to him. She only knew that she suddenly felt the weight of the world on her shoulders.

"Don't dwell too much on the matter now, Chloe. You must remember that we also stand by the Varden, the dwarves, and the elves. You have Saphira and I, and hopefully, Murtagh and Thorn. Let us resume."

* * *

By late afternoon Loćien had returned to the training Chloe, and Eragon dismissed her, to her relief. She was sweaty and tired, yet pleased with her work. She stopped by her chambers to pick up a wool blanket and then she went to her waterfall for a quick wash. As she bathed she asked Loćien about his training, and he responded eagerly with a burst of images. Through the flood of memories Chloe saw that Saphira had been telling him stories of their races. She suspected that Loćien kept some of the information to himself, but she didn't pry. After drying herself and changing into spare tunic and leggings and washing her clothes, she and Loćien returned to the stone building. She checked the kitchen but it was empty. She found a couple of apple-like fruits on the table and took those back to her room. She settled into her cot, Loćien curled up next to her and she closed her eyes as she bit into her fruit. She shimmied out of her leggings and then laid back.

_Peace, food, and a nap._ Chloe thought to herself as she snuggled further into the cot. She was just nodding off when a thundering roar pierced through the air, and she fell out off the cot in surprise. Loćien was instantly alert, and he bolted for the door, Chloe running after him. She met her mother in the hallway and together they ran outside. They immediately found the source of the roaring, which only served to puzzle them. Chloe had suspected Saphira to be growling at Thorn, not her saddlebags. But that was exactly what she was doing. The offending saddlebags were on the ground before the snarling blue dragoness. Chloe was surprised it wasn't quivering with fear. Eragon was standing next to her, frantically trying to calm her down.

_Shame! I believed you to be stronger! _Chloe winced as she was slammed with a wall of emotion, and she was shocked that it came from Saphira. She still didn't understand who it was Saphira was so angry with. Her mental anguish was so strong that Chloe had to erect shields around her mind to protect herself. She saw her mother hold her head in her arms, also in pain.

"Mom, just go inside—" Chloe began, but her words were swallowed by a particularly frustrated growl of Saphira's.

"Saphira!" Eragon shouted, and Chloe knew that he had shut his mind from her as well. Saphira released a plume of smoke from her nostrils and then her hind legs tensed, her claws digging deeper into the ground before she sprang into the air. After a few rapid wing beats, she was out of sight. Eragon sighed, turning to the saddlebags. He picked them up, and then started as though he had just noticed Chloe and Viviana.

"Please, master, what is wrong with Mistress Saphira?" Chloe asked in concern. Eragon appeared troubled.

"Saphira is… unhappy with a friend of ours. I cannot yet explain, not until you and Loćien can better protect your mind. The knowledge is highly valuable." He explained with another sigh as he stared after his dragon. Chloe tried to mask her disappointment.

"Oh. Well, um, I guess I'll just turn in for the day." Chloe said with a meaningful glance at her mother. Viviana took the hint.

"Yes, I'm going to make sure Ronnie isn't making a mess of things. Call me if you need anything." Viviana told the blue rider. Loćien eyed the saddlebags with interest for a moment, and then scurried after his rider.

"I'm gonna go to my room and take a nap." Chloe told her mother. Viviana only nodded curtly and then continued to her own chambers briskly.

Great, now what have I done? Chloe wondered. She decided to leave that as another problem for tomorrow. Chloe and Loćien settled on her cot once more, and Chloe sincerely hoped that this time she wouldn't have to leave it too soon.

_I wonder what it is that Saphira is so upset about._ Chloe thought. She received an image of the leather saddlebags from Loćien.

_Well yeah, I know that. But it must have been something_ in_ it. But what's that tiny?_ She didn't have an answer.

* * *

**Eragon POV**

Eragon stared helplessly after Saphira, feeling hopelessly powerless. She wouldn't answer him, and her behavior only served to remind him of the pain she had felt in Ellesméra, when Glaedr had refused her. And once more her pain seemed to be connected to the gold dragon. The blue rider tentatively reached out to the Eldunarí, but to no avail. The heart of hearts of the golden dragon burned with an incomprehensible amount of emotions, blocking him out.

A groan of irritation passed through him. He had no idea what had happened. Everything had seemed fine, or at least as fine as it could be given there situation. He'd removed the saddle from Saphira's back to make her more comfortable, and left it near her as he went to retrieve Brisingr from his room. When he'd returned Saphira had been furious, and apparently speaking with Glaedr. He was uncertain as to what had surprised him more; Saphira's fury or that Glaedr was actually communicating with her. It had been the first time since the death of his flesh body and that of his Rider Oromis. Eragon returned to his room, leaving the saddlebag behind his cot and then setting spells over it so that none may steal Glaedr. At the moment he had his own dragon to worry about.

It took Eragon a few short minutes to run to out of the stone buildings and past the arena and to into the forest that lay beyond. One he reached the rocky wall that created the inside of the mountain he stopped. He knew Saphira was somewhere above him, at a quarter of a league above him. This would be much more difficult to climb than the Crags of Tel'naeir had been. Eragon began the grueling task of climbing the rock shelf, thankful for the natural footfalls he found in the dark rock. He'd finally reached the top of the shelf where he knew Saphira lay when he found that there weren't any other footholds. He looked to move back down but found the foothold much further than he expected.

He was reminded of his climb outside of Teirm. A moment passed as he contemplated using magic to either propel him up or create a new foothold when a silver spiked tail slithered down the rock face next to him. Thankful, he gripped one of the larger spikes and Saphira retreated her tail, carefully pulling him onto the land. Once he was over the edge he let out a sigh of relief and looked back down. He was very high in the air, and yet still the rock continued upwards, towering over him.

_That was foolish_. Eragon turned to Saphira, glad that she had at least spoken to him. She lay with her back against the rock shelf, her head resting on her paws.

_I couldn't leave you alone_. Eragon said slowly. _I was worried. I haven't seen you so upset since—_

_ I know when_. She snapped. Then a puff of smoke left her nostrils. _I wasn't foolish this time. My anger was not without reason_.

_And why exactly were you angry?_ Eragon asked. The blue dragoness didn't answer him for a time, and he sat, cross legged, near her head where she could still see him through a clear sapphire eye.

_I was finally able to speak to him. And I asked him if he knew not of our plight, that it had fallen to us to train the next rider, that we required his assistance. That he had not answered my call even when you had disappeared, nor when we captured Thorn and Murtagh. I am beginning to think he has abandoned us. _

_We cannot blame him, Saphira. It has not been long since Oromis'—_

_ If you had died I would have lived on to avenge your death. I would have lived on to wreak pain and misery upon our enemies. I would have lit the world ablaze with my hottest flame, and rent the men who took you from me in two with my talons. _Eragon didn't doubt the vision she painted in his mind for a moment, and he almost felt sympathy for his would-be killers. _Glaedr may not have a flesh body, but he has knowledge and still the power of his mind. Yet he refuses to use it, and shows me only weakness in his act._ Eragon mulled over her words for a moment.

_Not everyone reacts the same way. It will take Glaedr time to heal. Now, he can only retreat further into his Eldunari. As you said, he does not have wing, or talon or claw. We are not so lost right now without him. The important thing is right now that he knows we are here. He will understand that his role in this war is not yet over, and when the time comes he will be there alongside us. _Eragon told her soothingly as he reached out a hand and placed it on Saphira's nose. She closed her eyes for a moment.

_When did you become so wise, little one?_

_ I'm not sure I'd call myself wise. I only know now more than I knew then. _Eragon smiled. The pair sat in companionable silence when Saphira asked,

_How faired Chloe in her training today? _

_She did surprisingly well. It is plain to see she is much more committed to our cause. I think there is more to what she saw in the cave yesterday. Whatever it was, it has made her motivated to do well in training. But there was something else. She was more than just confident in her abilities. She had much more energy than usual, and she was faster with her movements. It was odd. _

_ Do you think she was touched by magic?_

_ I suppose it could be our unknown ally. But I am grateful for it. She will need any assistance available to her to her. I think we can train her and Loćien to the point where they can fight alongside us in battle, but when it comes time to face Galbatorix, it will be you and I that face him, if only to preserve a single rider and dragon in the event that we fail for our cause. _

_ And Murtagh and Thorn?  
Murtagh and Thorn… I can only hope that if they do not join us they will remain away from the fight and we will not have to worry about them…. You know, despite all that he is, Thorn _is_ a good looking dragon—_

_ Not even amusing, Eragon. _Saphira growled, and Eragon hastened to hide his smile.

* * *

**So guys, this is my dilemma: The last thing I want is for Chloe to become a Mary-Sue. If anyone thinks she is right now, then I'm sorry but it's not my intention. I suppose it is a cliche MxOC with the OC becoming a Rider, but I want this to be more than a romance. In fact that won't really be shown for a while... right, anyway, so how do I put this? I don't want her to be Chloe the SuperAmazingRider. I want her to be a good Rider, at least for the sake of Loćien, because she's still a rider. I just don't want her to be super good at it. I don't want her totally helpless either though... I guess what I'm trying to say is if she's in danger of becoming a Sue, let me know please. **

**Also, not sure if anyone needs clarification BUT: Murtagh is kinda like 'Yeah, she's hot, I'd bang her' but that's about it. He kinda finds Chloe annoying and spoiled, so please don't think he's ready to fall at her feet. Which I totally agree with Murtagh, cause she's been pretty bitchy towards him, and I guess she's a pretty face and maybe too snarky, but she's not, ya know, someone he'd fall for at the mo'. Right. Thanks for reading, and review! **


	11. Chapter 9

**Shame at how long this took? check. So i'm having difficulty trying to move this thing along, so bare with the time jumps that are inevitably on their way. **

**I don't own any of this except I guess my OCs**

* * *

**Chapter 9: Embarrassment, Elva, a New Teacher, And Thorn Is Brilliant Once More**

* * *

**Chloe's POV**

The days seemed to drone on and on. And on. The Dragon Hold returned to its peaceful state and if Saphira was still upset, she didn't show it. Murtagh and Thorn kept to themselves for most of the day, except at meals when Murtagh joined them and attempted light conversation with his brother. It was often awkward and silences drew out longer than necessary around them, and yet both brothers seemed to be making an effort for their own motives. But Chloe knew that the red rider still didn't trust Eragon. Saphira and Thorn kept out of each other's way for the most part, and Loćien continued to grow.

She felt like a mother fawning over her child with Loćien. By the end of his first week he was larger than a bigger than average housecat, and he could no longer curl himself around her shoulders. His golden eyes continued to absorb the world around him in wonder, and even though they spent just about every single moment together, he didn't communicate with her through anything more than images and feelings.

Ronnie reminded her of a fairy child; she would run through the grass barefoot, her golden ringlets streaming behind her, and a giggle always at her lips. She was a lovely image that brightened her day and lightened her mood after her training. Her innocence and her smile always gave her the courage to continue through another series of magic lessons, of battle strategies.

And then there was her mother. Being around Viviana reminded Chloe of the term 'Balkan Powder Keg' that she'd learned in History back on Earth; she was afraid her mother might explode at any given moment and it would not be a pretty sight. But Viviana never said anything, and Chloe was perfectly fine with not bringing the subject up. So instead she trained.

And trained.

She had to admit that her resolve to remain determined and study her butt off had quickly worn thin. She'd decided that just watching how cute Eragon was would be much more fun. And so she became unfocused.

"Chloe. Chloe. _Chloe!" _A presence invaded her mind. She blushed as her thoughts became exposed to Eragon, and she saw a blush spread across his own cheeks.

"Oh my god!" She exclaimed as she smacked a hand over her face in horror. She had never felt so embarrassed, seeing as he'd actually _seen_ her thoughts. Her face felt hot and she couldn't even look at him.

"We s-should break for lunch." He stammered, and Chloe nodded quickly, and without a backwards glance she fled.

* * *

There were several sharp raps against the stone doorway of her chambers, but Chloe didn't answer.

"And you're supposed to help us defeat Galbatorix? Why is it that you're sleeping in the middle of the day? Obviously Eragon doesn't have a good sense of training." Murtagh's condescending tone floated to her, and she only groaned into her cloth blanket.

"Mmmm. M wlln m mzreee."

"And you're articulate in your speech. I am sure the King shudders in his throne at the possibility of ever having to face a Rider such as you." Murtagh scoffed. Annoyed, Chloe sat up so that she could glare at him properly.

"If you must know, I am busy wallowing in my misery. So, if you please, leave me alone." She told him, but even her remark didn't hold its usual venom, seeing as her cheeks were still burning red and she was still terribly mortified. A fact Murtagh took note of.

"Your cheeks are ablaze! Is that a terribly pronounced blush?" he asked, a smirk falling into place. "What did you do to embarrass yourself now?" Chloe didn't say anything for a time, but the red rider didn't leave.

"Fine then. I was distracted, and Eragon was able to view my thoughts." Chloe told him, reddening again.

"And? I fail to see the problem, other than your failure to protect your mind." Murtagh said.

"Well, uh, I wasn't picturing him naked or anything, but I wasn't exactly ignoring how handsome he is…" Chloe said, and she felt like slapping a hand to her forehead. Again. And she have to continue to see him, everyday, nearly all day. Good God was she embarrassed. She expected more teasing from Murtagh, but instead she was met with a dumbfounded expression.

"Unbelievable. Those are his problems. His student that's too taken with him." Murtagh muttered, closing his eyes for a moment. "I actually came here for a reason, not to discuss your little girlish fantasies." Murtagh said, causing Chloe to roll her eyes.

"I need you to convince Eragon that I should have a hand in your training." He said. Chloe stared at him for a moment, unblinking.

"I'm sorry, could you repeat that? Because I think that you just said you wanted to be my teacher. As in my instructor. As in mentor. As in Jedi master." Chloe said slowly, Murtagh looked confused for a moment.

"Mentor, instructor I don't care what you call it. Just convince him," Murtagh said as he prepared to leave.

"Hey, hey, wait a minute. Now exactly why would I want to do that?" She asked, still not able to wrap her head around the fact that he wanted to teach her.

"Because I can make you powerful." Murtagh said with a smirk. "Eragon's teachings are done the elvin way. They require more time and pondering than quick action, and trust me princess when I tell you that time is something we do not have." Murtagh told her. His words had a strange effect on Chloe. He was right; she'd wondered herself when she'd actually start to learn to _do_ things, not just in theory or movies little rocks through the air. She still hadn't used magic, and she still didn't feel like much more than before, skill wise.

"Who says I want you teaching me? And besides, what business of yours is it if I do good or bad in my training?"

"My business is my own," Murtagh answered. "I'll not tell you it if I don't wish to."

"Well listen, Frodo, I think it is my business. What do you gain from training me? Because I am most certainly not going Dark Side." She said. This time it was Murtagh who rolled his eyes.

"Can't you just believe I'm doing a good deed? Trying to change my true name so that I can be free?" Murtagh said innocently. Chloe pursed her lips.

"Innocent isn't your color," she murmured as she thought. It was true; helping her would help The Cause, as she'd taken to calling the fight against the mad King. He could change his true name and be free, if he helped her, if that was how it worked anyway…

"Ah… I am so going to regret this later. Okay, but I'm not talking to _him_, that's all you." Murtagh considered her for a moment.

"No, he won't believe me."

"I think he would. He wants to believe you're good."

"And there you go defending your lover."

"HE IS NOT MY—!"

"Oh, quit it you, I was joking. Obviously your love is one sided."

"I really don't like you right now, Murtagh."

"I really don't care, Chloe." He returned without batting an eye.

"Okay, fair enough. How about neither of us talk to Eragon? He never said I couldn't learn from you, and he never said you couldn't teach me. And if he asks, it was my idea." Chloe finally stated, nodding her head.

"Very well," Murtagh agreed as he turned to leave. "But know that you won't achieve praise from me merely by batting your eyes at me." Murtagh said with a sneer as he left.

"Like I'd EVER crush on YOU!" She yelled back. She sighed as she set her hands on her hips, looking around her room and nodding slightly to herself.

"We're going to be BFFs, Murtagh and I. I just know it." She muttered into thin air. Oh sweet, sweet sarcasm.

* * *

**Eragon POV**

_Chloe_, Eragon reached his consciousness tentatively towards his apprentice, the tips of his ears slightly pink as he did so. He felt her respond to his mind, still flustered herself as she erected strict mental barriers around all her thoughts except those she chose to surrender to him. _The rest of training today is canceled. Arya has returned, and I must speak with her._

_Yes Eragon-elda_ she answered, and he retreated. He shook his head slightly. He wondered if this was how Arya felt when he said or showed his feelings for her. He was embarrassed, both for himself and for Chloe. He hoped to whatever gods may be that he wouldn't have to explain his lack of feelings towards her.

Eragon straightened his posture, standing tall as he felt Arya's presence move closer. She had contacted him through her mind a few minutes previous, alerting him to her return, and so he and Saphira had gone to the Dragon Hold cave entrance to greet her. There was a clanking of hooves, and two mares, one black and one brown, emerged from the darkness of the cave, pulling a loaded wagon. Eragon immediately spotted the elf princess seated at the front of the wagon, holding the brown leather reins between her fingers. She looked exhausted, but other than that fine, and beautiful as ever, he noted with a slight pang in his heart. Arya brought the wagon to a halt next to him and Saphira, and nimbly jumped off.

"Eragon, Saphira," she greeted. Saphira dipped her head in response.

"Well returned, Arya." He responded. "I trust your journey was without incident?"

"It was, although tiring. I was required to use much magic to conceal my tracks and remain cloaked from prying eyes, and to lower the wagon and horses into the tunnel." She told him. "I was able to purchase many supplies while remaining disguised, as well as keep an ear open to news. There were many rumors afoot, whispered hastily from mouth to ear. None were pleasing." Arya explained as she walked to the horses and took their bridles into her hands, coaxing them forward. Eragon walked with her towards the Dragon Hold buildings.

"Troubling news, then, from the outside?" he inquired. Arya nodded once just as Viviana appeared at the stairs.

"Arya, welcome back." She told the elven princess with an odd curtsey. Eragon could see she was not yet used to such formalities. "Was your trip all right? If you'd like I can sort out the supplies. We set up one of the chambers to act as a kitchen and storage room." the Viviana explained.

"Yes, thank you Viviana. That would be most helpful." Arya nodded. "I will join you in a moment, but first I must speak with Eragon." The raven haired elf said, and Eragon led her to the meeting room.

"What is it?" the blue rider as he leaned against the stone table. Saphira watched them through the carved out opening that acted as a window, only her sapphire eye visible.

"You remember Az Sweldn rak Anhûin, Eragon?" she asked.

"How could I forget the dwarf clan that attempted to murder me? Yes, I remember." Eragon said darkly as he remembered Kvîstor's death and the dwarves that had attacked him. From outside Saphira growled.

"And I am certain you remember their displeasure with their lot, given that they have been banished."

"Yes."

"Rumor swirls that they have been made an offer that they are hesitant to refuse. It is said that Galbatorix has offered them the hand of friendship, in return for their alliance with him. They will be spared and made rulers of their race once Galbatorix has won, so the Mad King has said." Arya told him. Eragon let out a bitter laugh.

"He truly is mad if he believes that the Az Sweldn rak Anhûin clan will ever join him. They hate all Riders; whether they be good or evil. He can never believe that they will join him." Eragon said, shaking his head. He noticed that Arya's face was grim, however. "You can't possibly believe this is true, can you?"

"Aye, it may seem farfetched perhaps, but you must consider that Az Sweldn rak Anhûin has lost everything. They may quite possibly believe that they will be returned to their former glory and riches, and remember it is you who are their blood enemy, and you who are an enemy of Galbatorix. The enemy of my enemy is my friend." Arya reminded.

"Barzûl!" Eragon the dwarf curse escaped his lips as he paced back an forth. "This is unthinkable. There must be more than only Galbatorix's solemn promise, I doubt they trust his word. And would not Orik have known of these rumors?" he asked.

"Nay. I only heard these rumors by walking were few but the strangest dwarf walked, and by listening with more than ear and magic, but also with mind. I believe that if desperate enough, Az Sweldn rak Anhûin would join him."

"Then we must tell him! If Az Sweldn rak Anhûin does join the King, then the dwarves must be prepared, else they may be slaughtered in their sleep!" Eragon exclaimed as he ran a hand through his face. He'd never thought that Az Sweldn rak Anhûin was capable of such an evil…

_Perhaps they are as mad the king. _Saphira spoke, and both rider and elf could hear the contempt in her voice. Eragon knew she was still out for the blood of the dwarves that had attacked him in the tunnels of Tronjheim. _Perhaps they believe they have little else to lose. If the case is as rumored, then I hunger for the blood of my enemies. _Saphira said fiercely.

"That may be, Saphira, but I cannot possibly tell Orik. The news would fall on deaf ears. Remember, Az Sweldn rak Anhûin has been banished. Orik will not lead an investigation against them, for they are no longer dwarf to him, especially without solid proof." Arya explained, turning to Eragon. "We must remain vigilant, you and I, and Saphira. Now I have else to tell you. Other, less secretive rumors have grown pronounced it seems. Your absence, Eragon, and yours, Saphira, has not gone unnoticed. The dwarves and the people of the Varden have grown disheartened."

"They cannot believe we have deserted them!" Eragon protested, and Arya sighed.

"Eragon, the Varden has not seen you in nearly a month! The last they saw you, you flew out to meet Murtagh in battle in a location unbeknownst to them. Only I, Nasuada, and Orrin knew that you were flying to intercept Murtagh and Thorn at Beirland, to Eoam. Then you disappeared for days, and then you journeyed here. Nasuada does not care to admit how doubtful the people have become. And it does not help that there is a growing nervousness. Both the Varden and the Empire are at a still. None is progressing forward. The Varden is still licking its wounds from its conquests of Feinster and Melian and Furnost. The people are not unintelligent. They know that the King is bidding his time. They know he has a plan." Arya said, and her voice was strangely emotional. Eragon didn't voice his observation, but she sounded nervous, if not frightened.

_There is little we can do. We _must_ train Chloe and Loćien, and there may not be any opportunity other than now,_ Saphira chimed in.

_Loćien?_ Arya questioned. _She has named the hatchling?_

"Ah, yes. There are a few events I must inform you on." Eragon realized as he thought of the lake. "It will be easier to show you, rather than tell you. May I?" he asked, indicating to Arya that he wished to meld minds. Arya nodded once, and lowered her mental barriers. Eragon spent a good two minutes showing Arya his memories. When he finally retreated into his own mind Arya was pensive.

"Magic is clearly at work here. In the form of what force, I don't know. I have never heard of such a Mosaic in all of the histories of my people." Arya admitted. "But this girl, I'm not certain of her. I fear for her future. She does not make a striking impression upon me as a strong rider, Eragon." Arya said, causing him to wince slightly.

"I have faith that she will become what she is meant to be. Eventually." He added. "She only needs the proper guidance, something I believe Saphira and I can provide. No one else will influence her. Here in the Dragon Hold she is safe. None of the Kings spies can talk to her or cause her harm, and her dislike for Murtagh is clear. She wouldn't listen to a word of his." Eragon said confidently.

* * *

"Again," Murtagh ordered as leered over Chloe. She was on the ground, panting as she tried to regain her breath.

"Just give me a minute," she coughed, her breath ragged.

"Break denied. You can have one when you can stop me from entering your mind. Now come, again." He repeated as he moved a step back. Chloe groaned. When she'd agreed to be taught by Murtagh on the side, _this _had not been what she had envisioned. He'd demanded they start right away, and than he had immediately begun instructing her on 'properly closing her mind'. He wasn't nearly as gentle as Eragon had been, and he ruthlessly hammered away at her brittle mental barriers. She thought she'd been good at that, at least—defending her mind—seeing as Eragon had told her as much. Apparently she _was_ really good at it—for a mediocre magician.

"If you do not learn to shut your mind," he said as she stood shakily. "You won't be able to keep your thoughts your own. You won't be able to stop the enemy from taking what they want at their ease."

"I know. I get it." She spat as she wiped the back of her hand over her forehead.

"Do you? Do you realize that if I were your enemy it would have only take a short mental attack to see your weakness? To see how much Ronnie meant to you? If I was your enemy magician I could have probably killed her, even from here."

"Don't even!" Chloe exclaimed furiously as she launched her own mental attack against Murtagh. Daggers of steel stabbed repeatedly at his mind. She nearly had him and then her concentration slipped, and Murtagh enveloped his mind with her own, as thought he had her in a headlock.

"You have to be stronger. If you're going to use your anger, then use it all! Use it to power you, to aid you, not to become another weakness." He told her as she collapsed onto her bed.

"I'm trying." She growled.

"Try harder."

"I am! But its not exactly easy. How the hell am I supposed to keep a brick wall from breaking when I know that it can be broken?" she demanded heatedly. Murtagh groaned slightly.

"You're supposed to imagine something unbreakable. If you can't use a brick wall, think of diamond."

"But diamond can be cut to." Chloe pointed out. "Everything can. Nothing is unbreakable." The red rider considered her for a moment.

"Then you need to find something that isn't unbreakable for you. If you can use that, than you can block your mind from your more powerful foes." Murtagh explained. "Now, let's move onto magic." He said, ignoring Chloe's cries of protest.

* * *

**Murtagh POV**

Murtagh shook his as he left Chloe's chambers after their first lesson. He could already hear her soft snores as left. She was exhausted from her attempts at blocking her mind from him and her brief usage of magic. She hadn't been able to do much, but at least she'd done well enough when it came to learning the ancient language with Eragon, and her pronunciation was fine. She hadn't actually used any magic other than moving a pebble around in the air, and so Murtagh had taught her several ways of killing without using more than a handful of basic words in the ancient language and mundane objects. She'd looked slightly sick by the end of the exercise, but she hadn't complained.

Murtagh walked down the steps of the stone buildings, ready to summon Thorn, when the red dragon dropped out of the sky in front of him, folding his ruby wings against his back.

_What is it that you are doing?_ Thorn asked as Murtagh walked around him.

_Walking_, Murtagh replied smartly, and he received a whack on his head from the tip of Thorn's wing.

_Ow. _

_ Don't get smart with me, rider. I asked what it was that you were doing. _Thorn repeated.

_Nothing. I only offered to teach Chloe a thing or to, so that she'll actually learn something rather than what my incompetent brother is attempting to teach her._

_ Oh, I see. Trying to do a good deed in hopes that your true name will change, Murtagh? _Thorn asked sarcastically. _What do you gain?_ Murtagh glared at his dragon in irritation.

_More like what do _we_ gain. Look she needs to be somewhat powerful. The stronger she is, the more time it will buy us to decide to do what we wish to do. The stronger she is, the longer she can evade Galbatorix._ Murtagh explained as he kicked the dirt on the ground with his boot. Thorn narrowed his red eyes at him.

_I thought we'd already agreed to remain to_ _fight_, Thorn said. _I told you I wished to see the King dead._

_ And I'm trying to view our options, as in plural, as in having more than one. I'm trying to do something_, _rather than just sit here and wait for the King to claim us once more. _Murtagh said angrily. Thorn's eyes flashed and in an instance he had Murtagh pinned to the ground with a claw, baring his teeth inches from his Rider's face.

_You should really eat some more fireweed,_ Murtagh commented.

_Listen to me, Murtagh. I have actually been doing something, rather than moping about and feeling sorry for myself. Say what you will but I know you better than you do. You act as though your heart is as hard as steel when in truth it grieves for the brother you are battling against._ Thorn growled. Murtagh bit the inside of his cheek, looking away. His mind was an open book to Thorn, and yet the dragon didn't need to scan his thoughts to know what troubled him. But he'd never fess up to such thoughts of his brother.

_Then tell me, O dragon, what it is you have been pondering. _Thorn growled again, and removed his paws from Murtagh's chest. He closed his claws around his shoulders, and jumped into the sky, flying for his rock ledge.

_You know I hate it when you carry me like this,_ Murtagh muttered darkly. He felt like a baby bird being scolded by his mother bird as he was being carried back to the nest. Thorn dropped him onto the rock ledge and then settled down next to him.

_Then listen well, baby bird,_ Thorn told him, and Murtagh rolled his eyes.

_Fine. Go on,_

_I don't believe my earlier assumption was incorrect; you are currently free. However I believe it is for a different reason than because you merely went to the other world. Before the magic activated to transport you back, what were you thinking about? _Thorn asked.

_You. _

_ Specifically? _He asked, ignoring Murtagh's grumbling.

_Are you really going to make me say it?...How much I missed you. _

_Exactly. And I can remember what you were thinking when you fought Eragon. There was a desire of yours that was at the forefront of your mind: to be free of your oaths. I was not near the crystal; nor was Saphira. You and Eragon, however, were nearly directly beneath the Crystal of Eoam as you fought. Could it not be possible that the Crystal of Eoam was a magic that granted wishes? It would explain why Galbatorix believed it to be so powerful, therefore coveting it for his collection of artifacts. But then again, there is only one way to be certain. We need to find out what Eragon was thinking, and what Chloe, her mother and sister, were thinking in the other world. This part is up to you._ Thorn told him as Murtagh poured over his words.

_It seems almost too good to be true. _Murtagh said. _A magical artifact that grants wishes? _Thorn gave him a dragon shrug.

_Why not? What should define magic? Perhaps it was created long ago by dragons. _

_Dragons?_ Murtagh asked, slightly startled.

_The magic seemed familiar. _Thorn said dismissively. _So you continue to train Chloe so that she and her hatchling will not be blundering fools on the battlefield, and find yourself. _

_ And you? What will you do?_ Murtagh asked. Sometimes it confused him how Thorn has such a strong mind. He was intelligent and _wise_ and he always took control of the situation. It was the opposite of what he'd feared would happen to Thorn when Galbatorix had implemented his magic upon him to speed his growth.

_I will change my true name. _

_ What! You've learned it? _Murtagh exclaimed as he sprang to his feet. Thorn shook his large head.

_I have discovered no such thing. But I have an idea of what a large aspect of my personality is; therefore I know what to change. I will attempt it sometime soon. _

_ What is it?_

_ I will tell you if I am successful. Now I must rest before I attempt my feat. _Thorn said as he curled his tail around himself and rested his head on his claws. Not matter how much Murtagh prodded him, Thorn wouldn't reveal his secret. After a while he gave up.

And so he sat, watching the sun set and wondering what it was that he knew about himself, about what he wanted.

_What matters to me?_ He asked himself. Thorn was the obvious answer. _But what else?_ His freedom, certainly. He toyed with the idea of Eragon. He remembered that when he had been younger and still living in the King's castle, before his attempt at freedom, that he'd always fantasized about having a sibling. Having a sister had never appealed to him quite so much as having a brother. A brother he could spar with, wrestle with, exchange jokes with. He'd always wanted someone to understand him and to well, be a brother to him. But Eragon was not like that, especially not now. They were on opposite sides of _war_, and Eragon was practically an elf prince now. His father of course, he felt nothing but hatred for. He was only jealous that he had not been able to kill him himself, for what he'd done to him, and to his mother.

His mother. For her he mourned, he longed for her soft touch and her motherly love. Her warmth and goodness, something he'd never know. To ask her why she hadn't smuggled him away from his father as she'd done with Eragon. But Selena he loved for certain. Tornac he had cared for. He'd been his mentor and his friend. But he too, was dead.

_Where lays the answer?_

* * *

**Chloe POV**

Angela and Solembum arrived three days after Arya's return, a young girl in tow. Chloe stood with Loćien next to Eragon and Arya and Saphira as they approached. It was midday, and the sun still shone warm. In the days since, Eragon had neglected to broach the subject of her crush, for which Chloe was immensely grateful for. The pair acted as though the incident had never happened, although she'd noticed Eragon didn't breach her mind if she was distracted. She continued to train secretly with Murtagh, and though his methods of teaching taxed her, she couldn't deny that she was learning quickly and rapidly, quicker than she was with Eragon.

"There they are," Eragon said quietly as Angela walked with Solembum at her heels. A young girl walked beside her, Chloe guessed she was around Ronnie's age. She had a shock of feathery black hair that contrasted greatly with her pale white skin. Her black fringe framed frighteningly violet, solemn eyes, and her soft pinked lips were formed a straight line. She wore dark clothing; a dark purple tunic and black leggings tucked into black leather boots, and a leather belt at her waist with a silver sheathed dagger. The girl turned her violet orbs onto Chloe, fixing her for a moment before they went down to Loćien. Chloe shivered as she was released from their hold.

"The journey was fine, thank you. Horribly long, seeing as Elva didn't trust my methods of travel, but we arrived in one piece nonetheless." Angela said before anyone could ask. Eragon smiled as he stepped forward and knelt down to one knee before the young girl. He whispered something to her, and she nodded.

"Thank you for allowing me to be here, Shadeslayer." Elva said, and when she spoke Chloe was startled to hear the voice of a grown woman. Her eyes shifted to Arya.

"Arya," she nodded, and the elf returned her greeting.

"And you, the newest Shur'tugal…" Elva said, turning to Chloe.

"Well met, Elva. I'm Chloe." She introduced herself. Then she bowed forward slightly. Elva raised an eyebrow slightly, but continued.

"You have been bonded with a very beautiful hatchling." She said before turning back to Eragon. "I wish to rest. It has been a taxing journey for me." She told him. If the blue rider was irritated with her demanding attitude he did not show it.

"Of course. This way," he led her to the bedchambers. Chloe turned to see Angela frown.

"Was the journey that bad?" Chloe asked.

"No. She hardly complained at all. In fact, she silent-even more so than usual-the entire time. I had thought that she would be a little less tense away from all of the people—you know of her affliction—but she seemed unusually somber, which worries me. If she is so frightened, then perhaps we should be as well." Angela said as she moved away with Solembum.

_Great,_ Chloe said as she looked down at Loćien. _Just what we need. More trouble. _The white dragon watched her with his head cocked to the side and snapped his jaws in agreement.

* * *

"Chloeeeeee." Chloe groaned in annoyance as small hands shook her shoulder. "Chloe wake uuuuuup." She cracked an eye open to see Ronnie, small arms folded across her chest.

"What is it Ronnie?" Chloe sighed.

"I wanna see the other girl." Ronnie pouted.

"What? Now? It's gotta be like, six in the morning!" Chloe whined. Ronnie tugged at her arm again, and Chloe eventually got out of bed.

"She's probably tired. Let her sleep and then we can go, how about that?" Chloe asked as Ronnie prodded Loćien awake. _Honestly, that girl has no sense of self preservation whatsoever. Who _pokes_ a sleeping dragon to wake him?_ Chloe thought in disbelief, thankful that Loćien wasn't the kind of dragon that bit your hand off when you touched him.

"But I saw her. She's already awake. She's sitting outside. Please? I just want to be her friend." Ronnie said in her sweetest six year old voice. Chloe scoffed.

"Then why don't you just go and talk to her? You didn't need to wake me and Loć up."

"Because I don't think mom wants me talking to the other girl. But I miss my friends. I haven't seen Mary and Jacob and Clara and Mickey since school." Ronnie said with another pout. Chloe felt a pang in her gut at the thought of Earth

"Okay. Give me five minutes and we'll go."

"Yay, Coco!"

When Chloe was finally dressed (as opposed to the long tunic that she wore to bed) she followed Ronnie outside. The sun wasn't at its brightest yet, and a cool breeze carried the fresh scent of something floral towards her as soon as Chloe stepped outside.

"She's right there," Ronnie whispered as she pointed a little ways off. Elva was with her back to them, sitting cross legged, hands in her lap as she stared out at the Dragon Hold.

"I always imagined a place like this," said Elva, and once again Chloe was caught off guard by her woman's voice.

"What do you mean?" Chloe asked as she glanced down at Ronnie. She seemed surprised.

"I mean," Elva said without turning around. "That I always envisioned a place just like this. Somewhere quiet and pretty. Somewhere where I would be left alone. Somewhere I wouldn't feel the pain of others. It isn't perfect. I can still feel you, and your mother, as well as Eragon and Murtagh's pain. But now that I can turn it off it is manageable." Elva said. Chloe walked to her, Ronnie taking small steps behind her.

"Is that why you wanted to come here?" Chloe asked. Elva turned to look at her.

"In small part. But my reason should not be discussed in front of a child." Elva said as she looked down at Ronnie. Chloe raised an eyebrow at Elva's tone of superiority.

"You're a child." She pointed out. A cruel laugh escaped Elva, sending chills down Chloe's spine. _You really sure you wanna hang with emo kid over here, Ronnie? _She thought to herself.

"I am no child. Not anymore. Not since Eragon _blessed_ me." She said with bitterness.

"Well you're a child by _my_ standards. Your what, like a year old? Two, if that? Heck, you're a baby." Chloe said. Elva opened her mouth to argue but Ronnie beat her to it.

"Why do you talk funny?" Ronnie asked curiously, and Chloe nearly face palmed.

"Ronnie you can't—"

"You talk like Eri and Murty and Arya." Ronnie continued, and Chloe realized that she meant the way they talked specifically, not her grown-woman voice.

"I should be asking you why you speak the way you speak. You're the one who speaks funnily." Elva countered. Ronnie shrugged.

"That's how we speak where I lived." Said Ronnie. Elva only watched her through her purple orbs.

"Do you want to be my friend?" Ronnie finally asked with a smile.

"Friend?" Elva asked blankly. "I've never had a friend." She murmured, more to herself than to Ronnie. Ronnie looked up at Chloe, her eyes wide and sad.

"Then I can be your first friend!" Ronnie said, turning back to Elva. The determination in Ronnie's voice nearly startled Chloe. _You sure are one odd little kid, sis,_ Chloe thought as she looked down at the curly haired six year old. _You're so much more than I was your age, so much more naïve yet so much smarter_. Because she was, Chloe realized. Ronnie was so perceptive and kind and aware of the feelings of those around her. Yet at the same time, she trusted people too easily, to freely. Chloe had never been like that. She'd always been much more cautious.

"Well I've got to go wake up Loćien, seeing as that dragon probably fell asleep again, and then head off to training. I'll see you girls later. Don't wander too far and keep out of Thorn's way." Chloe instructed. As she moved away, she could hear Ronnie asking Elva if she wanted to play with dolls.

"I've never played with dolls before," she heard Elva admit in her quiet woman's voice. Chloe shook her head, and jogged back to her room. She quickly fixed the blanket on her cot so that her mother wouldn't chew her out later, seeing as apparently her chores from back on Earth had not disappeared. She belted Aiedail to her hip and then turned to her companion, who was curled up at the foot of her bed, pretending to be sleeping.

_You know your breathing is a little too quick to look like your sleeping, Loć. _Chloe informed the white dragon with a grin. She giggled as Loćien reluctantly uncoiled himself from his position and stretched, his pure white scales gleaming in the sunlight that streamed in through the window. _I swear it's like you grow over knight. I mean look at you!_ Chloe exclaimed. If he held his neck up straight, Loćien's reached just above her hip!

_So are you going to start talking any time soon?_ She asked. Loćien shook his head. _All right. Let's go, we're expected._

When Chloe and Loćien arrived at the training glade, they were both surprised to find Arya speaking to Eragon. Their hushed whispers stopped abruptly as the dragon and rider entered the glade, and Eragon turned to face them, unhappiness coloring his eyes.

"Eragon-elda, Arya-elda," Chloe greeted as she touched two fingers to her lips.

"Good morning. Loćien, Saphira expects you in the forest," Eragon said, and with a quick share of memories he communicated to the white dragon Saphira's position. Loćien nudged Chloe's leg with his head slightly and then trotted away.

"Arya has insisted to be present for your lesson today, to see your progress." Eragon said with a slight scowl. "I've told her that of course we still have much to do, and that we've only had a small amount of time to hone your skills so far." He said with a slight glance at the elf behind him. Arya's face remained impassive as ever as her almond-shaped green eyes observed Chloe. A slight prickle of unease filled her, but then she remembered her secret training with Murtagh. He'd definitely pushed her much harder than Eragon had, had begun to teach her things that Eragon said he wouldn't get to for a few months. So maybe she'd surprise them, although of course she'd have to make it seem as though everything she did she had learned exclusively from Eragon.

"I understand, master." Chloe said with a slight dip of her head. In her head she was running through her knowledge of the ancient language and the swordplay she'd learned thus far. She felt ready enough. _Besides, like Eragon said, I'm still a beginner. They won't be expecting much from me, will they?_

"We will begin with our blades." Eragon said with a slight glance at Arya. Chloe realized that he was also being judged as a teacher. Chloe drew Aiedail from its sheath at her side, brandishing the sword in front of her. Eragon twirled Brisingr in his hand, and without wasting time Chloe attacked first.

This surprised Eragon, who quickly parried the blow. Chloe raised her sword and swung her sword in an arc, making sure to keep the arc of Aiedail tight and not leaving room for Eragon to attack her. The tip of her blade nearly nicked Eragon's thigh. Her wide eyed gaze met Eragon's, who only nodded approvingly. The swords still weren't magically blocked, but this didn't seem to deter Eragon. By the end of their sparring lesson, Chloe's arms felt like lead and she could hardly hold Aiedail up. Eragon gave her a moment to rest before their magic lesson. This was what she'd been looking forward to the most, because of her secret training with Murtagh. She stole a glance at Arya, but the raven haired elf didn't seem inclined to speak in the slightest.

"Before magic I will test the strength of your mental barriers to see if you've been practicing, so prepare yourself." Eragon said. Chloe realized he was trying to prevent catching her unawares like last time, but Chloe quickly realized that her crush was over as quickly as it had come.

_Oh, I've been practicing alright. _Chloe thought with a slight grimace as she remembered how many times Murtagh had rammed at her mind with his own mental offensives.

"Ready, master." Chloe said, closing her eyes as she erected white scales tougher than diamond around her mind. Eragon nodded, and then his face assumed a faraway expression as he attacked her mind. Chloe winced as his mental daggers jarred her defenses, but she stood fast. Eragon retreated slightly, now like a prowling panther as he felt around her walls for a crack of fissure he could exploit, occasionally taking a swipe to catch her off guard. Just when she thought he'd stopped, Eragon attacked her, forcefully entering her mind and tearing down her walls. He retreated just as quickly. Chloe opened her eyes to find herself on her knees on the ground, panting.

"Good. That was a vast improvement." Eragon said.

"Thank you master, but you still got in," Chloe said as she picked herself up from the ground.

"Aye, but I never expected you to keep me at bay for so long. But I believe that you are just where you should be with your studies, given time. Onto magic,"

By the end of the supervised lesson, Chloe was quite pleased with herself. She'd done—if she did say so herself—amazing with all of the small tasks that Eragon had presented her with, along with her pronunciation of the ancient language. He was proud, she could tell. It had been slightly infuriating that Arya still hadn't presented her with a verdict, but Chloe thought it couldn't be helped. She wasn't surprised if Arya was against her becoming a rider; Eragon had told her that the elves wouldn't be too thrilled to have yet another human rider.

_Oh well, they can suck it up. _


	12. Chapter 10

**Guess what? It's summer, and you know what that means? Updates! Reasonable updates! Time, because I don't have freaking school in my way! At long last!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Inheritance Cycle, quite obviously. I met Paolini, and while he didn't seem like a violent guy, I bet he'd take me out if I started to pretend I did... **

**Forewarning: If you don't agree with what's about to happen, then I'm sorry, but it's happening. Sorry. Sorta. Not really. Like at all. Oh well. **

* * *

**Chapter 10: A Matter Between Dragons**

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**Murtagh POV**

_I'm going to attempt it today._ Thorn told Murtagh as he shook his wings in preparation. They were on their rock ledge, and Thorn had lit a fire for Murtagh some time ago, and the rider was currently poking at the dying embers with a blackened stick.

_Attempting what?_ Murtagh asked, confused. He looked to his ruby red companion to find that he was facing the Dragon Hold below, watching the buildings that were shaped out of the stone side of the mountain. A few flames flickered in the night, illuminating Eragon's and his companions camp site. Murtagh even spotted the large shape of Saphira, her scales appearing to be dancing in the light of the flames.

_I am going to attempt to change my true name_. Thorn said simply, startling Murtagh.

_You are? And you are sure it'll work?_ Murtagh asked. Thorn still hadn't revealed to him just what it was that he was going to do, but he had been brooding over some fact for days. Murtagh had never seen the young dragon so focused.

_I am as ready now as I will be tomorrow, therefore I shall not delay the inevitable. _Thorn reasoned with him as he opened his wings. _Are you coming or remaining?_

_Coming, of course. But to where?_ Murtagh asked as he clambered onto Thorn's back. He could feel the dragon's tense muscles beneath him as he jumped into the air, wings beating slowly as he ascended down to where Saphira was. The dragoness barred her fangs at him but otherwise ignored him.

_Saphira,_ Thorn called, surprising both Murtagh and Saphira. He was projecting his voice, and Murtagh saw Eragon, Arya, and Chloe Loćien wander out to observe the interaction. They were all tense.

_What is it?_ Saphira replied. Although irritated, she seemed curious to know why he was speaking to her after all of this time.

_I wish to challenge you._

_Challenge her? Thorn what are you doing! _Murtagh exclaimed, but again he was ignored.

_Challenge me?_ Saphira asked with growing interest.

_Yes. We have only ever met in battle, unaided by our riders, once before. But we never did conclude who the victor was._ Thorn told her, referring to their encounter on Eoam. Saphira let out a rumbling laughter.

_And yet here you are, our prisoner. I find that to be a victory on my part._ Saphira said. Murtagh could feel Thorn tense again. They had been ordered to become captured, but he didn't think it would be a good idea to let Saphira and Eragon know that. So instead the ruby red dragon shook his head slowly, the gesture prickling away at his pride.

_You had Murtagh hostage then. Now I am only asking for a fair fight. You and I, tooth and flame and claw. Unless you are frightened—_

_Enough! I shall meet you in battle, and I shall win!_ Saphira roared.

"Saphira wait—" Eragon began, taking a step forward. But he was too late. She had already sprung into the air, hovering as she waited for Thorn.

_Off, hatchling. This time I fly alone._ Thorn said to his rider.

_But Saphira—_

_It does not matter. Now, Murtagh_, His words were not unkind, but determined. And so Murtagh jumped off his back, frowning at the red dragon.

_I still don't see how this will help you change your true name. But please, for the love of freedom, be careful. _

_I shall, hatchling,_ And with that, Thorn joined Saphira in the sky, angling his wings towards the arena.

"What is he doing?" Eragon demanded as he watched the two dragons disappear into the arena.

"I-I don't know." Murtagh said helplessly. He knew Saphira wasn't going to go easy on Thorn, and he didn't even have any magic to heal him. He felt someone watching him, and he looked up to see Chloe staring at him. She opened her mouth to say something and then thought better of it, and looked away instead. The three riders, Loćien and Arya all stayed where they were, occasionally leaning against the stone walls of the building or sitting on the cold steps as they waited. Finally twin roars filled the night, and they all looked out towards the arena. Jets of fire could be seen flashing and spilling out over to the top of the arena walls, and thunderous growls and roars heard as stone fell as battling dragons crashed into it.

**Chloe POV**

It was a painful few hours for the red and blue riders, Chloe knew. Both of their dragon's had severed links with them, and it pained them not knowing the well-being of their partners. Every now and then they'd stand, pacing and throwing looks at each other. But this was a matter between dragons, and neither could do anything about it, much less blame each other. She looked down at Loćien. She could actually see the hollow at the base of his neck where she would sit, now that he'd grown larger. Even now she could imagine herself sitting on his strong back as they soared through the wind, arms spre—

"One of the two returns." Arya said suddenly, and Chloe looked up. She strained her eyes in the darkness for a sign of the said dragon. She couldn't see one, until she realized that there was a black hole in the sky where some of the stars weren't visible. She glanced at Eragon and Murtagh, and judging by the relieved expression on the blue rider's features, she guessed it was Saphira who was returning. But the dragoness didn't stop, she flew past them, and into the forest. Eragon appeared confused, and he took off running in her direction. Murtagh stared back out at the arena, searching for his dragon. They were still for a few more moments, until Murtagh cursed and strode off in the direction of the dragon hold, muttering about Thorn's secrecy and stubbornness.

"Did you understand any of that?" Chloe asked as she turned to Arya.

"No, But neither is it my place to. I will retire, and perhaps tomorrow answers will be revealed." Arya said, and with the grace of a princess, she sauntered away.

_Who cares if its not your place, aren't you the least bit curious?_ That had been what Chloe had wanted to say, but of course she didn't. _C'mon Loć, time for bed. _Chloe said as she turned around on the steps to go to her chambers.

_I think we should follow Murtagh_.

_That's nice but I don't think we should, we both—holy hell you spoke!_ Chloe whipped around to watch Loćien, who only blinked back at her with his golden eyes. His voice was deep, though not as deep as Thorn's, yet still had a nice near-musical quality to it.

_Please, Chloe. I want to go and see Thorn._ Loćien said, pawing at the ground until his talons left deep indentations in the dirt.

_Loćien you're talking to me! About time to! What took you so long?_ _And you're talking in full sentences. Eragon said that you wouldn't speak in full sentences for a while. _

_I took as long as I wanted to take. I thought I'd learn as many words as I could first, rather than sound like a human child. Now can we go?_ Loćien asked, thumping the ground with his tail impatiently.

_The first time you speak and it's about following Murtagh? I always thought your first words would be something like, 'Chloe I chose you because you're amazing' or 'we're going to kick mad king ass together' or—_

_ Get over yourself, Chloe._ Loćien said with a roll of his eyes. Chloe stared at the white dragon, taken aback.

_Listen mister sudden personality, I'm just saying that following Murtagh in the middle of the night to his half-crazy dragon isn't a good idea. And you're starting to sound a bit too much like, well, me!_

_You just don't want to walk all the way to the arena. But _I'm_ going. _And with that, Loćien turned around and crawled away into the direction that Murtagh had gone.

_Great, just great. They grow up so fast and then look! They think they can go wherever damn well pleases them. Kids,_ Chloe thought to herself as she took off after Loćien, who was once more quiet, a fact Chloe pointed out.

_What would I say if I didn't have anything to say?_ Loćien said as he followed Murtagh's scent through the trees.

_Good point. Hey Loć?_

_ Yes Chloe? _

_ Why did you pick me, of all people? Why not Arya? She would have been perfect._ Loćien mulled over her question as she kept pace with him. She realized that she didn't have as much trouble seeing in the dark as she should have, a slightly disconcerting fact attributed to how being a rider was changing her body.

_I chose you because you are different from the people of this land, and so you matched me. I am different than the hatchlings before me. _Loćien said slowly.

_Different how? Because you were given to me by the Floating Crystal of Eoam?_ Chloe asked.

_I think so, but I can't remember. _

_ You can't remember?_ Chloe asked, bewildered. _How can you not remember?_

_ I don't know. This way, he went this way. _Loćien added as he changed his direction slightly.

* * *

_This thing is massive!_ Chloe exclaimed as she bent back and craned her neck to see the top of the arena. The round sculpted rock was even larger in person, so large that she could hardly comprehend it's size. _No wonder it took so long to get here_, she thought, _this thing looks a lot closer than it actually is! We must have walked a couple miles!_

_ If this is so large, _said Loćien, awe coloring his voice. _Then think just how big some of my ancestors must have been. _

_You're right! Wow. One day you'll be just as huge too! And to think that almost two weeks ago you could wrap yourself on my shoulders!_ Chloe said.

_ We need to find an entrance. Murtagh's scent goes off in both directions; he must have backtracked after going the wrong way. I say we go…left._ Chloe shrugged.

_Your call_, and she followed the white dragon. Some twenty minutes later, they finally found an entrance. It was a large arch, fit for a dragon the size of Saphira. Chloe guessed that there were multiple entrances. Chloe took a deep breath and she and Loćien continued forward. Chloe was having a harder time seeing within the walls of the arena, and fortunately Loćien found an ancient torch. After a few tries Chloe was able to summon a small flame. Torch held out in front of her, she was eerily reminded of when she had followed Loćien into the underground tunnel to where the Mosaic had been, and she suppressed a shiver. She was beginning to associate following Loćien with interesting situations, situations she wasn't sure had the best outcomes because they always led to more questions.

_There,_ Loćien suddenly said, and Chloe followed his gaze. She could see a misplaced mass that seemed to glitter occasionally in the faint starlight. Thorn. Although the moon seemed to be hidden tonight, the stars shone even brighter, with an intensity Chloe had only ever seen in Alagaësia. _No city lights here,_ she thought, and for once the thought of home didn't pain her. The dragon and rider continued their trek.

_Are you sure that we should be bothering them? _Chloe asked hesitantly as they neared. She could see Murtagh's outline, sitting on the ground, legs folded as he watched his dragon.

_I am sure that I should speak with Thorn… I think this is a… a matter between dragons._

**Murtagh POV**

As Murtagh sat, he knew he was on the brim of impatience. Thorn still hadn't said more than an irritated, 'I am fine' as he licked his wounds. He had the impression that even if he had had his magic, Thorn wouldn't have allowed him to heal his wounds. They meant something to him. Out of the corner of his eye Murtagh saw a small light appear in the distance, and he turned to see a small flame. Who was… he caught sight of a white glimmer, and fought the urge to roll his eyes. _What are that girl and her hatchling doing here?_ He thought to himself as he watched their approach. When they were finally only a few meters away, Chloe stopped, but the white dragon continued forward and around Thorn until he reached Thorn's head that rested upon the cobbled arena floor. There he curled up and gazed up at the larger dragon with luminous gold eyes. Gazing into the golden eyes, it occurred to Murtagh that those eyes seemed to belong to a being much older and wise.

Murtagh saw Chloe rock slightly on the balls of her feet and then tentatively step forward until she had reached him. She dropped down to the ground neatly, crossing her legs as he had them, and jamming the torch in the cracks in between the stone floor.

"Hi," she said quietly. Silence, then—

"Is he okay?" Chloe said, her voice even tinier so that the red dragon would not overhear her.

"I wouldn't know. He isn't speaking to me yet."

"Oh," Silence again. Finally his curiosity spilled over.

"Why are you here, Chloe?" Murtagh asked her. He saw her grimace slightly in the firelight at the question.

"Well, Loć said he wanted to see Thorn. As in literally said the words, so I thought I'd listen to him. I think he… admires Thorn or something. I don't see how, seeing as he's never actually spent any time with him." Chloe said, shaking her head. "He's an odd little dragon."

"But why did you come out here?" Murtagh pressed. He wasn't sure why he cared, or if he even cared why. But he was curious. Chloe shrugged slightly as she fingered a pebble on the ground.

"I don't… I guess—and don't take this as a compliment or anything—but I guess that—and even though you work me _really, really_ hard during training, which if I'm being honest I'm still not sure why—"

"Just spit it out, Chloe!"

"Fine. I just guess you're not that bad. I mean you are, but it's bearable. I mean it's not like I want to be your new best friend or anything, cause us, being friends would be weird." Chloe said, sounding oddly flustered. And yet her flustered manner brought a slight smile to his lips.

"Yes, it would be odd. Certainly."

"Exactly. Odd…" Chloe trailed off, though her voice seemed much less certain now. "Huh. Why don't I like you again? I mean other than the obvious that you 'are or aren't evil' thing." Chloe said, causing Murtagh to snort.

"How should I know? We got along fine enough in your world. I just know that you irritate me."

"Oh _I_ irritate you? Please, you secretly love me." Chloe said, causing Murtagh to roll his eyes.

"Yes, and if you're not careful I just might come between you Eragon," he said dryly. Chloe laughed quietly.

"Oh heavens never that! Besides, I am so passed the Eragon thing." Chloe said dismissively.

"Then I suppose I should be careful when I train you. I wouldn't want to catch you thinking about me." Murtagh teased. This time it as Chloe who rolled her eyes.

"You won't have to worry about that, Murtagh."

"I bet I could get you to fall for me," Murtagh said smirking as he watched her. She scoffed, shaking her head.

"Bet you couldn't."

"In Uru'baen there were women who lined up hoping I would ask for their hand in marriage." Murtagh continued.

"And?"

"And what?"

"And were you ever married? Did you leave someone behind?" Chloe asked as she unfolded her legs and stretched out on the ground. The torch was in between them now, and she lay facing him, her head propped up on her elbow. He searched her face for a motive behind her questions, but found none. She was only genuinely curious.

"No," Murtagh finally answered. "I haven't cared about anyone other than Thorn and myself for a long time."

"I envy that about you sometimes." Chloe said, her wistful tone surprising him.

"What do you mean?"

"Well it's easier and less painful if you only care about yourself and your dragon and no one else. I have to worry about Ronnie and my mother. And now I care about Eragon and Saphira. I feel like my family is growing, even when I prefer to be detached." She said with a sigh. "I've always been more solitary than anything. I never had too many friends because I never cared enough to put too much effort into friendships. Eventually they stopped trying too. I always just wanted to take care of Ronnie, and then go to a dance school. That was it. That's not happening now though,"

"What about your father?" Murtagh asked before he could stop himself. Chloe looked at him oddly, but whatever force compelled them to behave civilly also pushed her to speak.

"There isn't much to say. I thought he was dead, but apparently he just came home." An edge crept into her voice.

"You don't want to find him? You could scry him." asked Murtagh, who would give anything to see his mother again. Chloe laughed bitterly.

"See him? If he's even still alive. And if he is, I don't want to see him with a new wife and new children, moved on from us. My mother never did. I-I think I know how the Crystal of Eoam works," Chloe whispered. "You and Eragon wanted to go back home, and it brought you back. My mom and Ronnie wanted to come find my dad, it brought them here. I-I wanted someone who'd understand me, and I got Loćien's egg. I didn't even know I wanted that, but the crystal did. What do you think my dad wanted? Obviously he wanted to come back." Chloe said quietly. Murtagh looked up at her in surprise. He'd had no idea that she'd harbored such thoughts.

_Then again, why would I know? Why would I even care to know?_ He reminded himself.

"Perhaps he had no choice." Murtagh said quietly. He looked away, pretending he hadn't noticed that she was wiping away tears from the corners of her eyes with the sleeve of her tunic.

"Hey Murtagh?"

"Yes princess?" she gave a sniffle of a chuckle at the usage of the teasing nickname.

"Do you have any stories about the stars here? They create different patterns here." Chloe said quietly. "Here look, lie back," she said as she scooted closer to him. Murtagh did as she said, lying on his back so that he could see the night sky.

"So many stars…" Chloe whispered from next to him. Beside them Thorn and Loćien still sat, and Murtagh could sense the occasional thought being passed between them.

"So you were saying, about stories?" he prompted.

"Back home we called them constellations. People of the past created stories around certain constellations, which are formations of stars. They often had a life lesson hidden somewhere, or they were meant to tell the tales of the gods and goddesses, or martyrs and heroes. Here, we can pretend that those stars," Chloe lifted her arm, pointing at a group of stars. "See, it almost looks like a chained woman. Her head is drooped to the side." Chloe said. Murtagh raised an eyebrow.

"Where, pray tell, do you see that? I can see a dog where you're pointing, but not a woman!"

"Oh hush you. You see a woman," Chloe said sternly. "Now, her name was Andromeda. She was a princess of Ethiopia, and a beautiful woman. She knew she was beautiful, and she often bragged about her beauty. Her foolish bragging cost her dearly, for she angered the goddess Juno…" Murtagh decided that Chloe was a good story teller. Her voice gained an appropriately misty quality, and it was smooth as it painted a picture of unfamiliar legends across his mind's eye. It wasn't until much later that he found himself lulled to sleep by her soothing voice.

When Murtagh woke up the next morning, he felt strangely peaceful. He could feel the warm caress of sunshine bathing his body, and even though the ground was hard he felt unusually content.

_It's about time that you woke up,_ Murtagh cracked an eye open to see Thorn's head hovering above him, watching him.

_Now you're speaking to me?_ Murtagh asked as he nudged Thorn away as he sat up. He arched his back, one hand moving to work the knot out of his shoulder that had formed. _It's already this late_? He added as he saw the position of the sun. It had been a couple of hours since it had risen, he gauged.

_It has. You slept peacefully for once, so I thought I'd let you sleep. Interesting how you come to comfort _me_, and then you end up sleeping next to the human girl_, Thorn added. Murtagh started, looking around wildly for Chloe. _She's gone. She left early this morning with Loćien. _Thorn said, and Murtagh was surprised that Thorn had addressed the white dragon by his name and not 'hatchling'. He didn't sound upset, either. Only teasing.

_I'm sorry. I still don't understand it myself. We… had a conversation. Very strange. Best not to mention it again. _Murtagh said he stood.

_As you wish. _

_ Now tell me about what happened last night, with Saphira. _Murtagh urged. Thorn's eyes narrowed slightly.

_Very well. Now climb upon my back. I wish to go bathe, and there is a large enough body of water nearby._ Thorn said. Murtagh walked around Thorn, wincing as he caught sight of Thorn's wounds.

"Thorn…" he murmured out loud. He could see long slashes across his stomach, and his tail looked as though it had been bitten more than once. Every now and then when he contracted certain muscles, the wounds would gush out more blood.

_They are not life threatening. I am proud to say that I inflicted just as much damage to her, if not more. _Thorn said, slightly smug.

_Then you won your battle? _Murtagh asked. Thorn's smugness faded.

_No. Now are you going to take all day or can you just get on?_ The red dragon asked in irritation. Careful not to touch any of Thorn's hot blood, Murtagh climbed into the saddle. With a little more strain than usual, Thorn jumped into the air. He flew closer to the ground than he normally did, and his landing was rougher than most when he landed directly into a small lake just outside the arena.

_Thanks,_ Murtagh muttered as he was dunked under water. He slipped off of Thorn, moving away from the dragon as the water around him grew hot from the blood that poured from his wounds. Again, Murtagh wished he could access his magic.

_It was a simple matter of her out maneuvering me_, Thorn said after a time. _I'm more… I see things differently from most, which is why I should have won. But she… there is something about the manner in which she flies in. She's exceptionally gifted in her aerial maneuvers._ Thorn said grimly. Murtagh chuckled slightly.

_That would be why I've often said that she is the real threat, not Eragon. _He joked. Thorn only growled unhappily as he snaked his head through the water until it rested beside Murtagh on the beach.

_There will be other opportunities to change your true name—_Murtagh began, but was cut off by Thorn's growling.

_But that's just it. I _did_ change it. _Thorn lamented, leaving Murtagh to open and shut his mouth several times. _You look like a fish out of water, Murtagh_. Thorn said impatiently.

_I don't know what to say, other than I still don't understand. And you still feel the same… I don't understand what has changed… you feel the same as you did yesterday, to me. _Thorn sighed.

_I challenged Saphira because I honestly believed that with my intelligence I could still win in battle, with her outmaneuvering me. But I didn't, and then I had to swallow my pride. I admitted that she was the better flier._ Thorn said unhappily. Murtagh only stared.

_That was it? You had to swallow your pride and admit she was the better flier and your true name changed?_ Murtagh said in disbelief.

_It was harder than you think_, Thorn growled. _I am—_was_ a very proud dragon. I have learned not to be. _Thorn rumbled. _Pride is different for a dragon than it is for a human. Dragons in general are very prideful, but I was even more so. You cannot understand the sheer difficulty in admitting to myself that Saphira could outdo me in battle... if I were human, I would be in a tavern drowning my sorrows in mead._ Thorn added. Murtagh raised an eyebrow.

_That bad?_

_That bad, yes._ Thorn agreed.

_Then think to the positive! You have changed your true name! You are... you are free._ Murtagh said slowly. _Free. _

_Never free. _Thorn said, shaking his head slightly. _Never will I be free until your true name has changed and the King is dead. Then, perhaps, I shall be free. _Murtagh grinned, reaching a hand and resting it upon Thorn's muzzle.

_And yet you cannot deny that today is a victory in your favor. You did well. _

_Yes... but now I must rest._

* * *

**Chloe POV**_  
_

"Where were you last night?" Chloe cringed as she turned to face her mother. She was standing in the doorway of her bedchambers, hands on her hips as she glared at her. Chloe put on her most winning smile.

"Morning mom! Isn't it such a lovely morning? I mean the sunlight, the birds singing-"

"Chloe," Her mother said, her tone a clear warning. Chloe wasn't even sure why she was so upset; she hadn't done anything wrong. But her accusatory tone had immediately set her on the offensive.

"Last night? Why I was here, of course, in the Dragon Hold. Actually, never left." Chloe said offhandedly with another smile. Viviana was not amused.

"Chloe, I mean inside of the Hold, because you most certainly were not in your bed last night."

"Oh, you mean _that_. Well you know, I went for a walk with Loc..."

"Chloe, I noticed that Murtagh wasn't in his usual perch either." Viviana said sternly. The smile slipped off of Chloe's face, leaving a dumbfounded expression

"You think-I was with Murtagh but I wasn't _with_ Murtgah! Oh my God, _ew_!" Chloe exclaimed. "It wasn't anything like _that!_ I barely even like him as an acquaintance. There is zero chance of you every having to worry about that." Chloe said confidently. Viviana gazed at her suspiciously.

"Then what were you doing?" Viviana asked. Chloe rolled her eyes.

"Um, didn't you hear the the whole smack down between Thorn and Saphira?" Chloe asked in surprise. Viviana blushed.

"Angela spoke to me about it this morning. Last night I thought I was sleeping through a thunderstorm." she murmured. Chloe snorted.

"Nope. The two battled it out over at the giant arena. Anyway, Loćien wanted to go, so we went." Chloe explained. "He wanted to talk to Thorn." she said, gesturing to Loćien, who was watching the pair with an amused expression.

_Good morning, mom_. He projected, and Viviana yelped.

"O mio Dio!" she exclaimed, a hand jumping to her heart. "He talked!" she said, turning to Chloe. Chloe laughed.

"Yeah. He started last night."

"And he called me 'mom'." she said, looking at the hatchling in surprise.

"Yeah, that's another thing. Loć's got jokes, apparently." she said with a proud grin as she glanced at the white dragon. Viviana turned hesitantly to Loćien.

"Good morning to you as well, Loćien." she said. He nodded in return, standing on all fours and stretching out his back.

_I'm going to get myself a morning meal,_ he announced.

_Alright see you later. _Chloe answered as she turned to back to her mother.

"So how exactly would you come up with some sort of ridiculous idea?" Viviana shot her a look.

"How could I not?" she deadpanned. "He's exactly the type of guy you usually go for."

"Mom I never go for guys." Chloe pointed out.

"Well, not in a serious way, no. But you're always attracted to the bad boy type." She said. Chloe rolled her eyes once more.

"Yeah, the ones who wear leather jackets and ride motorcycles, not armor and dragons." she said. "You really don't need to worry." Chloe said.

"Fine. But I happen to like Murtagh."

"Well yeah, because your mothering instinct kicks into overdrive. Can you say messed up childhood? But can we end the awkward conversation? Awesome. I promised Ronnie and Elva I'd take them to the lake today, since it's kinda my morning off." Chloe said.

"Alright, but watch those too!" Viviana called.

* * *

After taking Ronnie and Goth Baby as she'd taken to calling Elva, Chloe had met Eragon for their usual sparring. The rider seemed distracted as he blocked their swords.

"What's up, erm, Master?" She asked Eragon as he returned Aiedail to her. She tested the white sword's balance in her hands, and as always, she was satisfied.

"What do you think Thorn's motive was behind challenging Saphira?" Eragon asked. "Because I have been thinking about it all morning and I have not come up with a suitable explanation."

"Motive? I'm pretty sure Thorn just wanted to beat Saphira and be declared winner. I mean, he couldn't of thought that he'd be able to escape with Murtagh, especially not after the oath he gave. And really, aren't dragons like that? Full of pride and all? It probably bothered him that they'd never finished their battle, like he said, and wanted to have it out. I doubt its some grand scheme." Chloe said truthfully. Eragon processed her words for a moment.

"I suppose... Let us spar instead." Eragon didn't sound too convinced, but his swing made her thoughts focus only on their fight.

"You did well today." Eragon praised her as they finished for the day. "I am impressed with the way your training has come. I am certain that you will make a fine warrior soon." He told her with a smile. Chloe grinned at the praise, but inside she was frowning. He'd said warrior, not rider.

_Looks like there's still a lot to do,_ she thought. Loćien sidled up next to her and began chattering about his exercises with Saphira. They'd been studying maneuvers in the air, Saphira coaching Loćien in the theoretical aspect until he could actually fly.

_I can't wait until we can go flying together,_ Chloe said wistfully.

_I'm growing as fast as I can! _Loćien said reproachfully.

_I know you are. Don't worry about it,_ she told him. he

"Chloe!" She heard Murtagh shout from behind her. _Great. _They paused their walk, and the red rider nearly barreled into her. _  
_

"Whoa, careful!" she exclaimed. "What is it?" she asked, surprised at the excitement present on his features.

"I need to swear you to secrecy." he said promptly. "Both of you," he added, looking down at Loćien. Chloe raised an eyebrow.

"We're listening." she said.

"No, first I need you to swear you won't repeat what I am about to say." he said. She sighed loudly.

"Fine." she racked her mind for the correct words in the Ancient Language and relayed them to Murtagh. He nodded, satisfied, and turned to the white dragon.

_I'm not all that interested, if we're being honest. _He said lazily.

"Loc!" Chloe exclaimed out loud. "Seriously?" she asked. Loćien gave a dragon's shrug. Frowning at her dragon's sudden aloof behavior, she turned back to Murtagh.

"I'm sure he'll promise not to say anything, right Loćien?" she asked.

_I will not_. _But neither will I make an oath._

_Fine then, be that way, _Chloe said, taken aback. Murtagh also seemed surprised, but he nodded.

"Very well. I'm helping you with your training, and so you owe me a favor." he said.

"Do I? Because I'm pretty sure you said there was stuff in it for you too." Chloe said dryly. Murtagh chose to ignore that piece of logic.

"I want to change my true name, but I'm not certain as to how," he began.

"So you came to me? Great choice, because I happen to be an expert-no wait, I have no knowledge regarding the subject." She snapped sarcastically. "You know last night when I said I wasn't looking to be best friends, I wasn't lying."

"That isn't what I'm looking to achieve," he assured her, rolling his eyes. "I need you for a different reason. I can't do this with Thorn because as a dragon he views things differently. I require your human perspective."

"For what, exactly?" she asked. After her conversation with her mother, she couldn't help but observe Murtagh with greater scrutiny. His chin length hair was so dark brown she questioned whether it was actually black, and his eyes were a dark stormy grey, fit for his fluctuating temperament. He had high cheekbones and a firm jawline and he was really quite handsome. _D-A-M-N damn,_ Chloe found herself thinking. From behind her Loćien snorted. _Shut up, Loć. _

"To help me change my true name." he finally said. Chloe only stared at him. She was certain he was telling the truth; something about his expression. And yet, why come to her?

"I came to you because I know you will be honest with me. I can't go to Eragon about this, I refuse to. And so that really doesn't leave anyone else." Silence rolled into long minutes.

"...I guess I could help, although I'm not really sure what it is you want me to do." Chloe told him with a sigh. His face lit up and he took her arm, dragging her off the path and into the forest until they reached a fallen tree where he sat, gesturing for her to do the same.

"I suppose I would start by asking you how to care for people." he said.

"Care for people? You need me to coach you on how to care about people?" She repeated slowly. "How does that help your situation at all? From what I know, you have to change yourself. How is caring for people going to change that?" she asked, skepticism clear on her face.

"Well it's glaringly obvious, isn't it?" Murtagh said impatiently.

"Ahh... no, it really isn't. Please enlighten me." she said, crossing her arms and gesturing for him to speak with an exaggerated flourish of her hand.

"Look, when people care about each other, everything changes. Everything about them changes; the way they speak, interact, and even their actions. When people care for each other, they tend to be selfless and put the well being of others above their own. I think if I could do that my true name would change." he said. Chloe was surprised by the desperate note in his voice, and she glance at Loćien.

_Up to you. _I'm _not having any part in it_. The white dragon huffed, wings fluttering self importantly.

_Fine then. _

"Sure, Murtagh, what's the worst that can happen?"

Famous last words.

* * *

**I can't wait till we get to the good parts of all of this... sigh. it'll get there. eventually ish. I'm thinking another chapter and then things will start to move fasterrrr. SO REVIEW! **


	13. Chapter 11

**Hey guys, I'm back...with a short chapter. *winces* please please PLEASE read the note at the bottom when you're done with the chapter. just please :)**

**I obviously don't own...**

* * *

**Chapter 11: Irony: In The Real World, It Just Doesn't Begin With A Hug**

* * *

**Chloe POV**

"Okay, so I don't think your issue, at least right now, is caring about people. I think it's your people skills that suck." Chloe said as she paced in front of the red rider. Since Murtagh had approached her three days ago she'd pondered the subject of his true name for far longer than she'd expected of herself. Because, in all honesty, Murtagh wasn't her friend, despite the night spent in the arena. A simple conversation wouldn't be enough to make them best friends, and Chloe wasn't too interested in having him as a best friend. But his issue had wormed itself into her brain, constantly nagging her. How did one start caring about people? Chloe figured one did not. Either they did or didn't have the ability to care. The problem was showing compassion, and acknowledging it.

"My people skills?" Murtagh asked skeptically.

"Yeah, you know. Like how you interact with people. For example," she said, pausing in front of the stone he was sitting against. They were deeper than she'd go alone in the forest, away from prying eyes, where Murtagh had found a collection of small ruins. Most of the stone was covered in twisting ivy, and it had come to be their base of their two operations: Operation Coach Chloe Into Becoming A Rider and Operation Make Murtagh Care. "for example say I—no, that wouldn't work. Hmm," Chloe twisted a lock of her hair around her finger as she thought.

"Okay, pretend I'm a beggar. You've just passed me on the streets of Uru'baen, and I've asked you for some spare coins. How do you respond?" She asked. Murtagh raised an eyebrow.

"I would tell you to get your lazy bum out of the streets and to get yourself a job like the other poor bastards around us." Murtagh answered easily. Chloe's shoulders slumped slightly, and then she snapped her fingers several times.

"But I'm missing both arms and I'm almost going blind."

"Then I'd tell you that you were better off dead."

"…But I have a family to take care of." Chloe quickly countered.

"Then that would be proof that life isn't very fair, wouldn't it?" Murtagh said with a sigh as he crossed his arms across his chest. Chloe frowned.

"Maybe, but you could help out. You could toss the guy a coin, and what would you lose? Nothing. But you could be saving that guy's family from starving." She pointed.

"Yes, and then all of the beggars of the city would bother me incessantly, pestering me for coins. I couldn't possibly hand out gold to them all!" Murtagh argued.

"Neither would you have to! And really, are you seriously telling me that there is no way for you to discreetly pass a coin over to a beggar? Really, Murtagh?" she said, matching his posture. Murtagh pushed himself away from the ruin, stepping forward until he was looking down at Chloe.

"Why should I care?" he asked, voice low.

"Because! Maybe that man has a little boy or a little girl dressed in rags somewhere, thin and weak because her family barely has enough to feed her!" Chloe exclaimed. "I'm not saying make this guy your best friend, but you could just flip the guy a coin, that's all."

"A single coin could mean the difference between life and death?" he asked dubiously.

"I don't know, maybe. I mean give him two then. But it could just be enough to get the kid a meal," Chloe said. "Where I live…lived we have a saying that goes like this, 'It's the thought that counts,' Sot think about that. Just to learn to be generous and _care_." She told him. "Look, the point is to _try_. You can't save everybody, but if you at least try, then that says a lot about your character."

"…But what if the beggar is just going to use the coin to get himself a mug of ale at the nearest tavern?" Murtagh asked. Chloe stared at him, blinking rapidly.

"You…you are just impossible!" she lamented. "Look, let's do it like this: Go and hug Eragon." Chloe ordered, one hand on her hip, the other pointing in the general direction of their chamber's.

"Sorry, what was that?" Murtagh asked politely. "I didn't quite catch that."

"I said, go and hug Eragon." Chloe said loudly. Murtagh laughed.

"Your sense of humor _astounds_ me, Chloe." He chuckled.

"No one but you is laughing here, Murtagh." She grumbled. "You do know what a hug is, right? And I'm talking a serious hug. Like a good hug. Not a bro hug. A real hug. Like this!" Chloe exclaimed, wrapping her arms his middle in an awkward hug. He smelled woodsy, she realized. Murtagh didn't return her hug, instead pried her off of him.

"No hugs, not with anyone." Murtagh said, giving her The Look.

"Okay boss, no hugs." Chloe says with a sigh.

"Never again, and we won't speak of it either." Murtagh warned, and Chloe rolled her eyes.

"Okay, fine. But you know what, you came to _me_ for help, so stop knocking everything I'm suggesting. I have no idea what I'm doing, I'm floundering here even more than you are. So just I don't know, go pick Eragon some flowers or something. I need to get going anyway, I have a lesson." Chloe grumbled in annoyance as she stalked away from him.

When Chloe reached the meeting room, Loćien was already waiting for her with Eragon.

_You do not seem pleased,_ Loćien said to her as she entered the room. She spotted the white dragon curled up on the ground next to her usual stone chair, tail flicking through the air. By now he was as long as she was tall, and his appetite had grown along with him.

_You know how Murtagh is,_ Chloe replied.

_Then why help him?_

_Call me a philanthropist._ She answered sarcastically. The sarcasm flew over the dragon's head as he cocked his head to the side.

_Philanthropist… this word is new to me. What does it mean?_ He asked curiously.

_Uh, like someone who does good for others,_ Chloe said slowly. _A do-gooder, if you will._

"Chloe," Eragon said patiently, and Chloe realized that the blue rider had been waiting for her discussion to Loćien to end before he spoke. "We are having an issue with game shortage for Saphira and Thorn. The deer herd that they had been hunting previously is now practically nonexistent, and my thoughts are that the few species of animals that are present within the Dragon Hold are the animals that found their way inside and began to breed. Because Saphira does not wish to leave Thorn unwatched, I will go and hunt for her and return with the game, and so our lessons for the day are canceled. Remain vigilant, alright?" Eragon said. Chloe nodded, and suddenly the words were out of her mouth before she could stop herself.

"Take Murtagh with you, erm, Master," Chloe said, and both Loćien and Eragon eyed her in surprise.

"Sorry?" Eragon questioned, and Chloe wished she'd kept her mouth shut for once.

"Well, Master, you should take Murtagh with you because, and I have a good reason for that," Chloe said, looking around the room desperately as she tried to come up with a good reason other than, 'so he can try to bond with you'. "Because…um, you should spend some time with him…and um, _obviously _you should spend some time with him and see if he's up to anything suspicious. I mean, he is Murtagh after all." Chloe finally finished.

_Your ability to string words together astounds me,_ Loćien said, and Chloe was sure that her dragon counterpart was smirking at her. Eragon, however, seemed to be thinking over her words. At least her coherent ones.

"You are right," Eragon said slowly, and Chloe smiled triumphantly. "I will take him with me and see what he is up to. He must be up to something. As you said, he is Murtagh," Eragon said, nodding more to himself then to Chloe. The smile of triumph slid off her face as she shook her head.

"I'm not _saying_ he's up to something, just, you know," she tried to say hastily, but Eragon was already departing the room, calling a 'thanks' over his shoulder as he went. Chloe shared a look with Loćien.

_I'm screwed._ She said sadly. Loćien stared at her for a moment.

_Screwed…this word is also new to me. What does it mean?_

**Murtagh POV**

_The young rider is right,_ Thorn said as Murtagh made his way towards him. He's sat around for a few minutes after Chloe stomped away from him, and then decided to return to Thorn.

_About?_ The red rider inquired.

_Perhaps you should hug you're brother,_ Thorn teased, and Murtagh scowled.

_When you got rid of your pride, you also got rid of any good sense of humor you might have had, dragon,_ Murtagh retorted, but Thorn was still laughing.

_Worth it all to receive my freedom. I do feel oh-so lighter. _The dragon answered, and Murtagh gritted his teeth together. As happy as he was for Thorn, he couldn't help but be slightly jealous of the ruby red dragon. He hadn't made any progress whatsoever. He was sure that Thorn was aware of his small fits of jealousy, but to his relief the dragon said nothing on the matter.

"Murtagh!" Murtagh groaned. _Speak of the devil and he shall appear, _he was passing by the meeting chamber when Eragon called him, and Murtagh reluctantly turned to face his half brother.

"Eragon," he responded shortly. He saw Chloe appear on the top steps leading out of the meeting chamber, and from the look on her face he knew she'd done something that he would not be happy about.

"Murtagh I am going outside of the Hold to hunt for both Saphira and Thorn, given that the amount of game within the Hold is nearly depleted. You are to accompany me. We leave now," Eragon explained just as shortly, face expressionless. It made Murtagh's skin crawl with irritation at the thought that _Eragon_ was giving him orders, but a look from Chloe had him biting back his less-than-pleasant retort.

"Fine," he snapped, and the surprise on Eragon's face was poorly hidden. "But I want Zar'roc with me. Thorn showed me the size of those Shrrg, and I don't have any magic. And of course, I wouldn't want to distract the great hunter from his hunt if I were to come across a Shrrg." Murtagh demanded. Eragon glanced back at Chloe who shrugged. Some sort of conversation transpired between them, and then Eragon faced Murtagh again, grudgingly nodding his head once.

"Very well, but I will block Zar'roc's edge." Eragon said. Murtagh's lips pulled back into a smirk.

"I'm flattered. Here I am with no magic and without my dragon and you still feel the need to fear me." Murtagh countered. Eragon's lip twitched, but he withheld his response.

"Meet me at the entrance in five minutes while I retrieve Zar'roc." As Eragon left, Murtagh strode towards Chloe.

"What. Did. You. Do?" He hissed, and she glared back at him.

"Why does it have to be me?" Chloe said innocently.

"Because I'm starting to think that coming to you was a bad idea. What did you tell him about me?" Murtagh asked. Chloe rolled her eyes.

"Nothing, oh my God, nothing. You're paranoid as a mother—,"

"As paranoid as who's mother?"

"Just go, Murtagh. Please."

For the last few weeks Murtagh had felt nearly naked being both weaponless _and_ magicless, and so it came as a double-edged sword (very nearly literally) to have Zar'roc belted once more at his hip. He felt safer, and yet at the same time, carrying the ruby red blade had always been something of a burden, a cursed reminder of his lineage. As he and Eragon journeyed through the tunnel and out into the world he'd nearly forgotten existed, Murtagh thought he deserved to be commended. He'd kept his mouth shut the entire time, withholding all of the sarcastic comments that were running through his mind, mostly and insults aimed at Eragon, and ye gods were they many and creative. If anything, he wished he'd had a piece of parchment to record the insults to use after he changed his name.

_But that seems to be what caring is, _Murtagh thought to himself. _Keep the truth no matter how true to yourself, and lie to make people feel better about themselves. Maybe I should tell Eragon he looks manly. _He refrained from doing so, because he didn't think he could tell that lie with a straight face. And so they walked in silence. He was silent even when Eragon lifted both of them out of the tunnel, although he did squint his eyes at his half brother, curious as to know if that particular usage of magic drained him. It appeared not to.

Murtagh was even silent as Eragon led them past clear deer tracks where at least a few dozen deer has passed not even an hour ago, and he was silent as Eragon led him further and further from the Dragon Hold. Some two hours and three deer later, Eragon abruptly turned to him.

"You have been silent this entire time, what is it that you are plotting?" Eragon asked without hesitation, and the sudden question threw Murtagh off. He dropped the carcass of the deer near the mouth of the tunnel that led into the Dragon Hold, where Eragon said Saphira would carry the dead prey back to the Hold after they returned.

"Plotting? I plot nothing." Murtagh replied innocently. Eragon scoffed.

"You're always plotting something," he said, stepping closer.

"Perhaps in _your_ mind I'm always plotting, but I happen to have other interests that take up my spare time. Mainly long walks through quiet forests to contemplate my ever growing depression and drinking so much ale I forget said depressing life for a few hours." Murtagh said, and Eragon rolled his eyes.

"So you aren't attempting to overthrow the Varden?" Eragon asked skeptically.

"Don't be a fool Eragon. I do what the King tells me to do. If he wants me to take destroy the Varden, then I crush rebel forces. That is the way it goes, isn't it?" Murtagh replied, beginning to be aggravated.

"Funny you should say that, because you're _my_ prisoner. The Varden's prisoner." Eragon snapped.

"Am I?" Murtagh muttered before he could stop himself. Eragon's brown eyes flashed.

"So you are plotting something, aren't you? I knew there was something not right concerning your capture. Did he order you to become captured? Thinks we'll reveal information to you and that you will be able to scramble back to him and tell him all our secrets?" Eragon said, his voice rising in volume. "You mentioned that the King took interest in a larger project. What is it?" Murtagh felt like crying and laughing out of frustration at the same time.

"Stop acting the fool, Eragon. Do you honestly think that Galbatorix tells me everything? The details to his plans and schemes? The knowledge he allows me is very minimal when it comes to the inner workings of his plans. He doesn't trust me much further than he can throw me, and he isn't exactly unaware that I'm not his most willing servant! Of _course_ he doesn't tell me much, least of all his most secret project. What I know is through my own careful questioning and listening. I don't dine with the King regularly, and he hardly treats me like the favored servant… if anything, he highly dislikes me, seeing as I am by far his biggest disappointment." Murtagh said, gripping his hands into tight fists out of sheer frustration. "But you know all of that! I'm sure you're wiser than you look, _Shadeslayer,_ but that isn't you're problem, not with me at least. So go on! Make yourself heard! For once and for all, say something!" Murtagh roared. Eragon growled, and for a moment Murtagh thought that he was going to hit him. Instead the blue rider threw his hands up into the air and began pacing, the deer carcasses at their feet forgotten.

"Where to begin?" he exclaimed. "The part where I thought you were my _friend_ and you never told me the truth about who you were? Where I spent months mourning you, only to find that you were allied against my greatest enemy?" Eragon snarled, and Murtagh laughed bitterly.

"I thought you were more mature than to dwell in the past, Eragon!" Murtagh taunted. "I didn't _ally _myself with anyone! True name and all, or do you forget? And It's not like I willingly went with the twins! I-I _wanted_ to prove to Ajihad that I wasn't his or the Varden's enemy, I _wanted_ to hunt down and kill the Urgals that attacked! I _wanted_ to prove myself!" Murtagh admitted, and Eragon hesitated slightly in his pacing.

"Then what of Hrothgr?! You killed him for no reason!" Eragon shouted.

"I did what I had to," Murtagh snapped.

"You did not! You even told me that Galbatorix didn't order you to kill Hrothgr. You did it of your own free will! You killed him in cold blood. Even after everything they said about you, I still cared. I still cared about you and you went and killed the dwarf King!" Eragon snapped, closing the distance between them.

"Oh ho, so this is what it's really about, eh? You're angered by fact that you cared about _me_, and I'm not the brother you've always wanted? Because I have news for you, life isn't fair, and it will never treat you the way you want it to. What do you want from me, an apology? Because I am not sorry I killed him! I would do it again and again if I had to!" he was distinctly aware of the cracking sound his nose made as Eragon's fist collided with his face. Murtagh touched a hand to his nose, feeling the slick hot blood, and glared back at Eragon.

"So that's how you want to settle this," he snarled, and he advanced to throw a punch on his own.

**Chloe POV**

Chloe stared at the mess before her, brows raised at the _thing_ in her hands.

"I've never seen someone so impaired at knitting." Angela commented dryly, and Chloe heaved a great sigh, tossing the knotted wool and giant needles she'd already forgotten the proper name of onto the low wooden table. She was sitting cross legged on a thick carpet in Angela's room. She really wasn't sure how the self-proclaimed witch had done it; the cot was covered in furs, and there was a small, low wooden table and several stools in the room, along with baskets and baskets of items that held her belongings.

"Yeah, well, I've never been one for arts and crafts," Chloe said. She glanced out of the window, brow creased with worry. She wondered if sending those two out on their own was a good idea. Angela seemed to read her thoughts.

"I think things will happen as they are meant to. You have had more of an impact on Murtagh than you believe, and for that you have an ally today that Eragon did not have yesterday, in a manner of saying." Angela told her. Chloe stared at her for a moment.

"I'm going to go ahead and assume what you said was wise, because I didn't understand it." Chloe said, and Angela smiled in reply.

"Have no fear. Those two may behave childishly at times, and they may be complete blockheads at others, but they are Dragon Riders." Angela assured her. Chloe smiled a little.

"Yeah, you're right. I'm sure they're fine."

_Wham!_ Murtagh grinned through his split lip as he landed a kick to Eragon's thigh, causing the younger man to stumble backwards. He leaned away from a fist, only to be kicked in the ribs, leaving Murtagh slightly breathless.

"I can do this all day, _brother_," Murtagh taunted as he raised his fists before him. Eragon didn't answer, only attempted to kick Murtagh again. Murtagh blocked the kick with his arm, grabbing Eragon's leg and elbowing him in the side of the knee. Eragon howled in pain, pulling his leg back forcibly and now standing on a slight limp. Murtagh was caught off guard when Eragon pulled Brisingr from it's sheath and pointed it at him.

"Just admit that you could have spared Hrothgr—or, or Tell me you lied and Galbatorix ordered you to kill him!" Eragon yelled desperately. Murtagh stood taller, hand itching to the pommel of his sword. He could hear the desperation in Eragon's voice, that he desperately wanted to believe that Murtagh hadn't murdered the dwarf king out of spite, that something of the Murtagh he had known before the Varden still existed. And it was in that moment that Murtagh realized just how much Eragon wanted, _needed_ him to be his older brother. In a way, Eragon was just as alone in the world as he was, and it angered him. Zar'roc was in his hand quicker than even he could comprehend, and Brisingr was knocked out of Eragon's hand and to the ground. Before the blue rider could react Murtagh pushed him against a tree, sword edge at Eragon's throat.

"Damn it all, Eragon! Because it was between capturing you and Saphira or killing Hrothgr! It wasn't as hard a choice to make as you may think," Murtagh snarled, and Eragon stopped struggling against him, lips parted and yet no words making themselves known. "I am done fighting you and I am done fighting with this sword. Both have only brought me misery!" Murtagh yelled, and he suddenly whipped around and lashed out, impaling Zar'roc nearly to the hilt into the trunk of a tree. As the cold hilt of the sword left his hand, he felt a spark jump up his arm. He ignored it. Eragon was still gaping at him as Murtagh released him, backing away.

"That's how I chose to interpret the King's command; I could have captured you and Saphira, or I could have killed a prominent figure. So yes, I killed Hrothgr. I don't regret my actions." Murtagh said lowly. Eragon pushed himself away from the tree, taking a step forward, towards the red rider

"I did not know." He said quietly. Murtagh shrugged his shoulders.

"You couldn't have." Eragon looked though he didn't know what to say. And perhaps he didn't.

"We should return to the Hold. Saphira will retrieve the game." Eragon said in the same quiet tone of voice. Murtagh felt slightly disappointed, but he nodded once, his mouth suddenly feeling too dry to voice any words. He wondered if this was the part where he and Eragon should have hugged, according to Chloe. He stalked over to the tree Zar'roc was impaled through, and with a series of tugs he managed to pull it out of the thick tree trunk. As he pulled it free, his hand whipped back, and he nearly dropped the blade to the ground. He saw Eragon cast him a curious look that, for once, wasn't suspicious and merely that, curious, and he turned back to the ruby sword in his hands. It felt… different, somehow. Lighter.

_Pull yourself together, Murtagh. Now would be one of the worst times to lose grip on the little sanity you have left. _

**Haha, so I did say I was going to be updating more over the summer, but this summer didn't exactly go as planned. There was a few weeks that were truly terrible—there was a death in the family. The rest of the summer was pleasant, but those first few weeks….**

**Anyway, I'm not sure who _is_ reading this, but I'd like to say thank you. Thank you for sticking with this story, or for starting it. For reviewing, for favoriting. My updates may have been spaced far apart, but I never gave up on this story, or any other, posted and unposted. In a strange way, on FanFiction we're all a strange sort of family. We may not know each other past our screenames, but we're all joined by something we love—whether a book, a movie, a tv show, a play—and we all come together to share it, sometimes to lay bare the very things that mean the most to us through writing. For others it might mean more than to some, and I'd just like to say that whether good or bad, this means a lot to me. Writing my stories, reading others—it's something I look forward to, an escape from both the good and the bad. It's part of the moments that I realize—there are a lot of people out there just like me, yet each unique in their own right. **

**That is all **


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